Zootopia: The Foreign Stray
by Zephyr-Blackfish
Summary: When you awaken in a foreign land, with no way home and losing everything you ever had and needed, fear and sorrow are expected. But when this happens and you find yourself in a completely different universe... Nothing is certain. Instead you have to entrust your life and future with those you meet, no matter how alien, fluffy or furry they may be. (Author's-Universe).
1. Fortune favours the bold, or so they say

Author's Note: Possible One-Shot or Full-Fledged Story (dependent upon reception).

"You al'right Dillon? You seem a bit tense."

"Yeah, yeah," muttered Dillon, paws failing to loosen around the steering wheel "Job's just not what it's used to be, Walker."

"Nobody expected it to happen," sympathised Walker, hand squeezing his partners shoulder and patting his back "Just remember you saved her, that's all that matters."

"Yeah," sighed Dillon "Guess I did."

"She gets to see her family, thanks to you," affirmed Walker, leaning from the passenger seat towards his partner "We're ZPD, someone has to do it, protect the people, keep them safe so they can go home; and you were lucky enough to get home and see your family, too."

"Anyway, how is Jenny? Kids still a pain?"

"Ha," Dillon chuckled "You don't even know the half-"

 _+"Officers under fire at the fruit market, multiple perpetrators armed and hostile; all available Downtown units, please respond!"+_

"Is that Hopps?" asked Dillon, although he received nothing in response from Walker; Walker instantly knew, her voice instantly recognisable taking the radio transmitter without a second thought and bringing it to his mouth with a scowl forming +"Officers Walker and Pride, en-route; ETA 2 minutes!"+

"Hit it Dillon!"

The patrol car growled to life, and soon its roar resounded down the side-roads as its engine was pushed to the limit, sirens blaring, and lights blasting streaks of blue; Walker checking the straps on his vest, before unlocking the shotgun from the mantle, hastily filling it with shells whilst Dillon worked his magic with their vehicle. The skills to come top of the class in ZPD driver-courses were truly something to behold as the lion navigated his way through the packed and panicked streets, civilians a passing streak in the window as the sounds of gunfire grew louder.

Screeching to a halt, and passing the loaded shotgun to his partner, Walker dived out the door. The whole market was a mess; abandoned stalls were everywhere, hastily dropped goods and possessions littering the floor, and there by a couple of stalls to the right of the market was one of the officers under fire.

"Judy, stay down!" yelled Walker, letting off a pair of shots in exchange for a few cracking by his head before throwing himself down and into the side of the vehicle "Argh, damn it! Where's Nick?"

"He's by the stall," pointed Judy, panicking "He's been shot!"

Indeed, opposite the car, and by a stall some 20 yards away, Nick lay on the floor, curled and doubled over in pain; his hands hiding a bullet wound on his hip, with each application of pressure from crimson-stained hands eliciting hisses and groans. A fire began to burn in Walker's stomach, anger and rage seeping up from unknown stores, as his heart hammered in his chest, determination growing; the downside of it being that his determination led to selflessness. Dillon was now by his side, shotgun at hand, quickly firing off a shell at the perpetrators that were dug in behind a couple of vans and a stall, before quickly ducking down; a round cutting through his mane. A shave too close for comfort.

"Don't worry, we'll get him back," assured Walker, gripping Judy by the shoulder, looking her dead in the eyes "I promise."

"Okay," she cried in return, looking on to her partner "Hold on Nick, we're coming!"

"Take your time, carrots!" he groaned in return, any humour lost as he resumed his painful position "Take your time."

Soon enough, more officers arrived; a couple more vehicles pulling up and forming a semi-barricade next to Dillon and Walker's car, and they too soon joined the gunfight. With the extra manpower and concentrated fire, Walker peeked over the top of Judy's car, trying to get a clear look at the perpetrators. Aside from automatic rifles, he spotted glances of peaked ears, long snouts, sharp teeth, paws.

"Timber wolves," groaned Walker, handgun drawn to his chest "Why's it always got to be timber wolves?"

"They're getting pinned down," assessed Dillon "Now's a better time than ever to get Nick."

"Affirm'!" agreed Walker, turning to the officers at the barricade "You four, cover me!"

Soon enough, the four officers, a wolf, rhino and a pair of tigers, took their positions and opened fire upon the timber wolves; staccato barks echoing throughout the market as the vans became pocked with silver holes. With the volley of rounds, Walker crouched low and made a dash for Nick's position, sliding to the floor as he reached the fox's side, withdrawing a tourniquet from one of the pouches on his belt.

"Don't worry, buddy," he smiled, hands reaching towards Nick's wound "Now let me fix you up."

The fox's protection of his wound relented as he pulled his hands away to his sides, revealing a long red streak of a wound, blood leaking across and soaking into his uniform. Soon after, spitting a piece of tape from his mouth, Walker pressed his tourniquet onto the wound with one hand, and held Nick's leg with the other, as the animal in question tensed up and tried to squirm. Settling back down, the tourniquet was soon tied, and Nick ready to be moved.

"You're lucky it's just a flesh wound, Nick" grinned Walker, picking up the fox, holding him with his left arm.

"How about you tell me I'm okay once we're out of here?" groaned Nick, one hand clasped to his side, the other to Walker's arm.

"We're coming back! Give us some cover!"

Once more, a storm of rounds was exchanged between the wolves and the ZPD, tens of bullets skipping off the ground, producing puffs of dust and other material, whilst others cracked over head, and many more slammed into vehicles and buildings.

"Now or never, Nick!"

Walker, picking up Nick, made for a crouched run across the distance, towards the safety of the patrol car with Judy and Dillon. Time however seemed to slow, Walker seeing every bit of the shootout; from the slightest of glints on torn metal to the molecules of dust that carpeted the floor. Although this was not the only problem, as a gunshot later, he staggered to the floor with a gasp, and a burning pain in is side as if someone had run him through with a hot poker.

Walker had been shot, and he was now doubled over in the open with Nick; far from safe. The pair's chances of survival were diminishing with every second they were exposed, and Walker knew it. It seemed that either they both had to die, or one of them had to make the sacrifice to save the other. He saw the panic, the fear, in Dillon's and Judy's eyes; the hopelessness and suffering setting in. It was a look he'd seen before, the look given before the people you know and love die. But Walker had no time for letting people die, and with a great effort, made it so; hurling Nick the remainder of the way, leaving himself in the open.

Judy was immediately by Nick's side, checking him over like a mother, holding his head in her hands as he brought a paw to her shoulder, giving her that classic loving and sly look he always had reserved for her. Dillon however looked on in disbelief, desperate to save his friend as he was held back by the rhino, practically clawing at the opportunity to run to his partner's side.

Grimly accepting his situation, with the rate of the police fire lessening, Walker did what he did best; fight on, despite the odds. He rolled onto his back, propped up on his left arm, grimacing as he raised his handgun with his right. He aimed and fired a trio of shots, downing a timber wolf as it exposed itself, falling to the floor with little resistance. Another however was not so careless, and before Walker could react, a round hit him in the chest, entire vest shifting as the round cut straight through; there was no pain, only the feeling of a great force hitting him in the chest and air being forced from his lungs.

The officer crumpled to the floor, right arm spread out towards his partner and fellow officers; his friends. Vision clouding, hearing fading, the last things he saw were the stares of sorrow. Dillon roaring a defiant 'No,' fired his own weapon, disregarding accuracy and technique entirely; emotion ruling his actions. Nick could only look on, Judy by his side as she looked on helpless.

"Brandon!"


	2. Unknown origins, uncertain futures

1 year earlier...

The only thing to escape Brandon's lips was a sigh. It had been a pleasant, but long, day. In the morning, he'd been busy clearing up the mess a team of builders had left behind after a recent storm had ruined his grandparent's fencing in their garden, which had been replaced a few days prior; it required a few trips to the rubbish dump to dispose of the old concrete, plants and wood which had to be loaded into buckets via shovel and then into his grandmother's car. In the grand scheme of things, it wasn't that difficult, as proven when a few days before he had been helping a close friend of his demolish a wall after its subsequent destruction in the storm.

Following on from that, throughout the afternoon he had spent it with his girlfriend, Jess. Well, spent it with her and her friends by going out for a meal. Nothing special by any stretch of the imagination, but it was good to see her again; with exams coming up, and family issues on her side, it was becoming more and more difficult to fit time in to see eachother. It truly seemed the saying of 'you don't know what you have until it's gone' wasn't much of an understatement, with the days spent waiting for that one opportunity to see her passing by with boredom and restlessness. Although, like all good things, the evening had come to an end and after waiting with Jess until she caught a bus, Brandon too made his way home in a similar fashion.

He absent-mindedly closed his phone's screen, having finished and sent his partner a text thanking her for making his day with the finishing 'love you' followed by a series of kisses and the like. Of course, he was probably going to receive a similar, but sweeter, message in return; Jess always seemed to win when it came to competitions of love and flattery, leaving her boyfriend searching for ways in which to profess his love to her without sounding like a copy-and-paste or cliche. Most times though, he could only say his love for her was more than words could describe; the feeling of love difficult to explain, aside from a strong desire and heartfelt connection.

Unlike his love, however, Brandon could be described in one word; scruffy. Thick, brown leather jacket, unzipped to reveal a blue flannel shirt underneath, coupled with a pair of bootcut jeans and mud-stained hiking boots. Fashion wasn't his forte, per say, but practicality most certainly was. Well... He did have a habit for wearing boots in the Summer which didn't go particularly well. Oh well, he couldn't have everything in life; some sacrifices had to be made.

Brandon was rudely awoken from his daydreaming as the bus jolted to a halt; two stops past his...

"God damn it," he groaned, wrapping a hand around a bar as he hoisted himself to his feet, legs asleep "Just my luck."

Trying to get feeling back into his legs, and giving the driver a thanks for the ride, Brandon shuffled his way to the door of the near-empty bus; the people riding it too engrossed in their phones or staring off into nothingness. Hardly paying attention to his actions, Brandon stepped out the door into the dimly-lit suburban street, foot... His foot didn't make contact with the floor, and somehow dipped into it; with a yell, Brandon somehow fell through the concrete of the paving slabs, and continued onwards. After a brief flash of light and blurred colours of his surroundings, Brandon hit the ground hard; winding him.

Coughing, bleary eyed and splayed out on his front, Brandon placed his arms in front of him, underneath his head, as he recovered for a few seconds and took in his surroundings. Even with his momentarily-poor vision, something immediately seemed off. He found himself on grass, underneath the beams of what could only be a midday Sun. The sound of traffic around and particularly behind him reminding him of home; the sound of people as well suggested he was in the middle of a city or park. Drawing his arms to his sides, the young man pushed against the floor and brought himself up, and soon was on his feet, supported by shaking and sore legs; him landing badly after the fall being the only explanation for such a poor condition they were in.

Eyes focussing, adjusting to the light, Brandon's heart began to race, as his head swung in all manner of directions. He was not just in any city. He was in a city that he'd never even thought possible, with all manner of strange and beautiful architecture going into the skyscrapers. But as his vision returned to normal, Brandon's heart skipped a beat. The whole city was populated by animals, not just the usual ones, but living, breathing, clothed, anthropomorphic ones, with not a single human in sight for as far as the eye could see.

The feelings of isolation, insignificance, demoralisation... All of them welled up from the pit of his stomach; all Brandon could do was look on, the rate of questions forming in his head matching the pounding heart rate. His name suggested he was brave, but such a name now seemed unfitting; fear ruling his body. Soon the shaking set in, breaths made ragged and incoherent; exacerbated by the realisation that those same animals around him began to take notice of the creature in their midst. Eyes shifted, walking paces slowed, conversations died, as more and more spotted him.

Lesser instincts took over, and Brandon began making his way out of the park, first with a walk, then a short jog, before breaking out into an all out run; eyes burning into his back as he blazed a trail across the park, sidewalk, street, another sidewalk, and into an alleyway between some triple-storey buildings, paying little attention to the cars that made emergency stops, horns blaring, after nearly hitting him.

Making his way through the alleyways, the only sounds Brandon could make out were his own; rapid, shallow breaths, and the heavy thuds of boots on concrete. Everything else was a blur, drowned out by his senses, as preservation and shelter-finding became primary concerns. After reaching an area sheltered by a pair of commercial-sized rubbish bins, Brandon slowed and collapsed against a wall; overwhelmed.

 _'Where am I?' 'Am I dead?' 'Is this a dream?' 'Where's home?' 'How do I get home?' 'What are those animals?' 'Who are they?' 'Why are animals talking?' 'What will I do?'_

The boy dragged his coats zip down with a jerk of the arm, feeling immeasurably uncomfortable, as if he was being crushed whilst next to a fire. Tears mixed with sweat as he sobbed, hands running through his hair, before one was slung over a knee, the other across his eyes, squeezing his temples, as the sadness ate away at his soul. Brandon was quiet though, the sounds of sharp breaths and choked cries near inaudible as a puddle formed beneath his chin on the floor; turning it a dark grey. Soon though, the crying resided, replaced with silent agony as he sit against a brick wall; legs brought to his chest, wrapped with his arms, blazing heat replaced with a slight cold as his body did what it could to calm down and relax as he stared off into the opposite wall. For a good minute, all he did was take in every detail of that wall; all the cracks, chipped brick, even the faded reds and yellows of the construction materials.

It was a shock for him when a couple of animals appeared in the corner of his vision, hidden by his careless lack of attention. As they drew closer, Brandon stumbled to his feet, turning to face them as they approached from his right. They appeared to be a pair of boar-like creatures, dressed in stained shirts and shorts, whatever colours they once had now faded, and covered in grime; probably sweat. The whole situation felt off, and Brandon began to slowly back-step, eyes never leaving the pair of boars; the threat becoming apparent as baseball bats in hand came to view.

"Who are you? What do you want?"

The creatures chuckled, giving eachother a glance before crude, ugly smiles appeared on their faces; malice evident in their stares.

"Who are we? Ha, we should really the ones asking who you are," laughed the one to the left "I'm Tusk, and this here is Butch," Tusk gestured to his partner.

"But we don't care who you are," smirked Butch, growing closer and closer "What we want is what's yours; phone, wallet, valuables. Now."

"What?" Brandon said in disbelief, astounded "Why do you want my stuff?"

"None of your concern, freak," grunted Tusk, only a few metres from his target "Hand 'em over!"

Brandon hastily looked around for anything he could use to defend himself, anything that could come in handy in the next ten seconds. Soon enough his search bore fruit as he found a heavy, rusted pipe, just over three feet in length near the back door of a building, which he soon shakily yanked from the floor, and brought to his front; angled in the direction of the boars. Although it was awkward and top-heavy, he'd have to make do with what he had.

"No."

The pair charged, hooves pounding the floor, echoing a broken pattern in the alley, as bats were raised. Brandon stood his ground, pipe held firm as he awaited their approach, and before they were upon him, sidestepped as the pipe was swung. Although he was effectively backed against the wall, Brandon was now facing one opponent; an opponent whose weapon had simultaneously been parried to the side. Pipe coming around, using the momentum to his advantage, the boy made a savage overhead swing which with an almighty crack as the pipe connected with the top of Tusk's head.

The boar in return fell to the floor, struggling to stand as he dropped his weapon; now it was truly one on one, as it was now Brandon versus Butch. The other beast however wasn't intent on letting up, as he charged and forced Brandon into the wall; back of his head colliding with the concrete, world spinning. Butch was about to make a swing, and in turn his target dived to the left; out of reach for a few critical seconds. Soon enough though, the boar was on top of him once more, and Brandon desperately gripped onto his sole weapon and reliable defence with all his strength as he blocked blow after blow of the bat.

A fourth swing in, with his left hand suffering to a brutal blow which produced a sickening thud and a drop in his defence, Brandon delivered a vicious, last-ditch kick to Butch's groin, sending the creature stumbling to the floor, giving his would-be victim enough time to deliver one last kick to the face. Subsequently, Butch too was on the floor, and Brandon on his feet. With precious time ticking away, he turned tail and ran back the way he had come, pipe gripped halfway with his right hand as his left was clutched against his chest; searing pain pulsating from within.

There were glances down the alleyway onto the busy city streets, a cruel reminder of home with the day to day activities here seemed so similar. However, as he ran by the alleyway he had only a short time ago, he caught a flash of blue, orange and white. He slowed, turning around and trying to see what, or whom, he had just passed. He'd just passed a fox and bunny in blue police uniforms?

 _'This world is getting weirder by the second.'_

The fox seemed to keep an eye on him, gaze never shifting, Brandon's breathing and behavior being unnatural for someone who was up to nothing; and then there was what appeared to be a look of surprise on its face. Its partner looked back the way he had came, and upon seeing the injured forms of the boars, turned towards Brandon and broke into a run and with a feminine voice yelled

"ZPD, halt!"

Brandon awkwardly stopped, unsure whether or not he should try and make a break for it, shuffling restlessly as he raised his pipe slightly. The bunny meanwhile slowed, and stopped, midway to her belt to retrieve what looked like handcuffs, staring at Brandon. She looked completely shocked, like she'd never seen-

 _'Wait, do they even know what humans are?'_

"Look, I don't want any trouble, please," Brandon tried to reason "I need to get home; who are you?"

The rabbit was soon joined by her partner, who looked similarly perplexed, whilst she seemed to rethink her idea of using 'cuffs.

"Lieutenant Hopps, Zootopia Police Department," she stated "Drop the weapon, sir."

"What Police Department?"

"Drop the weapon."

With the concerning draw of batons from the duo, Brandon decided he wouldn't pick another fight, and with a short internal conflict over the truth behind their words soon complied, dropping his pipe; the harsh sound of metal clattering making him slightly cringe. The pair made their approach as Brandon tentatively took a few steps back, but promptly stopped, awaiting his fate. With the brief mention of a 'Nick' and a nod of the supposedly named Judy's head, her partner holstered his baton, and withdrew a pair of handcuffs.

"Get down on the floor please, sir," the fox ordered as he approached, cautious as Brandon took note of just how tall he was compared to the pair he really was.

Playing ball and following orders, Brandon kneeled to the floor before laying on his front, arms and legs spread out in anticipation of arrest. Sure enough, he felt the fox take his arms one at a time and cuff his hands. With his hands restrained, the young man was helped up, walked over towards and sat down against yet another wall, whilst Judy spoke into her radio, looking down the alleyway.

+"Lieutenant Hopps to dispatch, requesting a van for prisoner transport at Cedar Square; we've also got suspects headed east down an alleyway next to Bow Street, see if you can get Hardy to intercept them."+

 _+"Copy that."+_

Sure enough, the boars were making their getaway, hobbling down the alley whilst making worried glances behind them with the presence of police officers on the scene; although with the mention of further officers on the scene, they wouldn't be running for long. So with the matter of the runaways taken care of, Officer, correction, _Lieutenant_ Hopps stood before the young man, hands on her hips and head tilted slightly whilst her partner stood at Brandon's side, watching for any unnecessary movement.

"Huh, so Dispatch wasn't lying," she thought aloud whilst assessing her suspect "So then, who are you?"

"Brandon, Ruback," Brandon answered uneasily "Brandon Ruback... Who are you?"

"I'm Lieutenant Judy Hopps, Zootopia Police Department, and he," she gestured towards the fox "Is Nick Wilde, my partner. Strange, I've never seen anybody like you before, what are you exactly?"

"A human?" Brandon spoke awkwardly, the idea of using 'human' as identification felt... Alien, to say the least "From England."

The bunny just looked perplexed.

"Europe? Earth?"

"Well wherever you're from, I don't know, but this here is Earth. What's a human?"

"Wait, what? How? How's that possible?" Brandon asked, panic seeping into his voice "I am from England, a country on _Earth_ ; how is this Earth?"

Judy looked to Nick for help, but he could provide nothing aside from a shrug of his shoulders.

"No idea, Judy," he sighed "He's making no sense."

'That empty feeling' soon set in, Brandon going silent as he once more just looked into nothingness.

 _'Home's gone, friends are gone, family are gone, Jess is gone... Whole world is gone.'_

"Hey, don't worry," comforted Judy, kneeling in front of him "We'll sort this out at the station okay? Now come on, let's get going."

Brandon gloomily nodded, failing to take comfort in the Lieutenant's promise. Nevertheless, with a semi-supportive hand lift from Judy and Nick, Brandon haphazardly got to his feet, the inability to use his hands unhelpful in every possible regard. Further down the alley he could see two more officers, a wolf and tiger...

 _'No-one would ever believe this.'_

Walked towards them by the Lieutenant and her partner, Brandon was soon enough taken by the pair and escorted into the back of the police van; parked just next to what he assumed to be the Lieutenant's patrol car. As was expected, he also received strange looks from the van-borne officers, whilst acting somewhat unsure around him as they pushed him from behind, beckoning him forwards. What was not expected however was the large crowd drawn around the vehicles.

There was tension in the air, suspense hanging by a thread, as the officers and their suspect emerged from in between a pair of buildings into the large city street. Gasps were heard among the whispers of surprise, fear and concern; parents clutching their children tightly, trying to shield their gaze at the strange creature in their midst. Flashes of cameras dotted the crowd, hiding the true number of photos taken as more people withdrew their mobile phones from pockets, gaze switching from suspect, to screen, then back to suspect. Even a news crew had arrived, the reporter on-scene at a loss for words, standing there and stringing out words and garbling her speech like a child.

Brandon just tried to keep his head down, trying to avoid the gaze of the spectators no matter how ineffective it really was; he never was one to desire and seek the center of attention; that was his brother's job. _Was_... *Sigh*

 _'Doubt I'll ever see him again, either.'_

Emotions at a dreadful low, and with his public view at an end, Brandon finally reached and stepped into the van; a cruel refuge from concerned eyes. Once seated, the officers didn't waste a second as they firmly shut the van door shut; the sound of bolts locking producing a metallic *chu-thunk* sound, signalling the end of the young man's run and chance of escape. Now his fate was to be decided by this 'ZPD,' a police department of a city he'd never seen before, nor heard of.

With no sign of desire to waste time, the van's engine soon growled to life, and the vehicle began to drive away from the scene; despite the slow acceleration, the odd positioning of his legs and hands, along with a lack of seat-belt, caused Brandon to lurch to the side and nearly fall off of his seat. With the drastic re-positioning of his legs, spread out, he managed to maintain a steady seating. The prospect of riding in the back of a police-van for a time became apparent, and in turn Brandon decided to busy himself with analysing the inside of the van; seats, flooring, windows, all of it seemed reminiscent of those from his home town, and the capitol. Despite the aching feeling of being reminded of home, Brandon put that thought aside, focusing upon the now; and the now was currently finding out what he could about this 'Zootopia' Lieutenant Hopps had spoken of.

Shuffling his way across the row of seats, more akin to a bench, in the back of the van whilst making sure to stay off of his hand, Brandon finally got a good enough view through one of the few square, one-way windows. A weird feeling of home and familiarity ran through the boy's mind as he took note of the world he was in; the sidewalk, store-fronts, vehicles, signs... All of it felt so familiar. One thing he didn't appreciate however were the odd reflections of sunlight off of random things, such as windows, into his eyes; that much he could do without. Soon enough though, luckily or unluckily was yet to be decided, the van drew to a halt after a drive of only 17 minutes.

 _'Thank god for wristwatches,'_ thought Brandon, getting back into a comfortable position after awkwardly bringing his left arm into view by some awkward positioning and seating.

Strangely though, the officers in the van waited for some time, at least five minutes, before finally disembarking and walking to the back of the van and proceeding to unlock the door with a similar sound to before. Pulling and and proceeding to hold the door open, the tiger from before motioned for Brandon to exit the vehicle, with the brief words of 'Come on.' With no other choice than to follow orders, Brandon leaned forward and pushed himself up, ability to stand better than before, and proceeded to make his way to the door. Once outside the vehicle and able to stretch his legs and arms, he immediately saw Hopps' car pull up, and none other than the bunny herself step out of the vehicle and make her way towards him, flanked by Nick.

"Thanks Marcus, we'll take it from here," smiled the Lieutenant whilst gesturing to Brandon "We'll take it from here."

"Any time, ma'am," the tiger nodded "He's all yours."

With Marcus and the as of yet unnamed wolf clambering back inside the van, Judy turned to the restrained human.

"Come on, Mr Ruback; this way."

With the bunny and fox either side of him, Brandon was led towards a large, artistically-inspired, cylindrical building; a building which appeared to be in a large space, seemingly reserved, within the expansive city around them. Surprisingly, there were few roads close to the structure, instead replaced with pathways. Perhaps on the other side there were more roads, who knew? That thought aside, as the trio grew closer to the entrance, a collection of letters saying 'POLICE' was above the sets of doors at what was the front of the station; why the station was so large, Brandon hadn't the slightest idea. Soon they were up to the steps, climbing one by one, until they reached the door. It was then that the Lieutenant abruptly brought the group to a halt as Brandon grew more nervous and jumpy the further they went.

"Just stay calm and follow my lead, okay?" the bunny cooed "We'll get to the bottom of this."

The person in question could only nod, wanting to believe the officer, but sadly begging to differ. Knowing from his past experiences, coupled with who and where he was, Brandon had a concerning belief that everything from here on would probably go down hill; It would just be a question of how far before someone applied the breaks.

Author's Note: Well, I hoped you guys and gals liked it. Personally, I'm enjoying it, just trying to sort out all the little niggles and bumps along the way. Any writing help would be useful; I'm not surprised if some of the ideas or text in this chapter feel repeated or silly. No matter the outcome, I'll still keep writing, and if you guys enjoy it, I hope you still keep reading. Anywho, that's enough for one day, now onto my work; hope you all have a good day, and I'll see you in the next chapter.


	3. An unexpected reception

The double doors were opened by the duo, and Brandon led on through into the station. Station however was a bit dishonest; the building was huge! The size of the foyer alone, with a capacity to easily fit a few hundred people, truly symbolised the scale of the building; as if it were more befitting as a sports stadium. That however was where the similarities ended.

On his escorted walk to the front desk, Brandon was able to get a clear view of the station's structure; numerous floors were build around the foyer, with walkways that seemed reminiscent of a shopping centre's floor organisation. Strange was the word that came to mind; why a police station was laid out in such a way was beyond him. Nevertheless, it must have served its function well, with the station being the only one he knew of, especially one of this size.

The boy's daydreaming and theorising was brought to a halt when the image of a fat feline began taking shape in his vision; indeed, Brandon soon found himself before the front desk, the officer behind it giving him the weirdest of looks, midway to taking a bite out of a doughnut in hand before seemingly turning into stone. In fact, on second thought every police officer who wasn't preoccupied in the station was slowly drawn in to the sight of the lone human in the open; using 'vulnerable' to describe one of many of Brandon's feelings felt like an understatement.

The Lieutenant casually walked to the desk, over which the cheetah leaned and asked in a hushed tone, hand covering mouth whilst nodding towards the lone human.

"Who's that?"

"Hey Clawhauser," Judy smiled "He's the suspect from the Cedar Square call-out, we need a holding cell for him; is Blunthorn on duty?"

"Oh right, yeah, he's on the desk," stammered Clawhauser, unsubtly giving Brandon a once-over.

"Okay, thanks," said the Lieutenant as she stepped back from the desk, making a right turn and gesturing towards a door at the side of the foyer "This way, Mr Ruback."

Brandon had no other choice but to oblige, the use of formalities with his restrained state seeming ironic, acting towards a detainee in such a mannerly fashion. Perhaps it was special treatment, or maybe something else was up... Who knew?

In a form of saving grace, Brandon was finally walked to and through the double-doors which led onto a long, faded-white corridor with a grey floor, running in accordance with the station's curvature and so bending; lit by panel-like white lights, giving the corridor a dull, industrial look. To his left some few metres away was the beginning of a desk, hip-height when compared to Brandon and a light oak-coloured wood in structure. Approaching the desk with officers at front and flank it appeared that there were also panels of glass in front of computers set up on the desk itself, which was currently stationed by what Brandon could only assume was this supposed 'Blunthorn;' a rhino in similar attire to his fellow officers, but who seemed a lot more aggravated at the moment.

At the sight of the human, who all of a sudden felt much smaller, Blunthorn dragged a hand across his face and let out a loud sigh.

"I'm done with his," he groaned, hand slapping the desk as he stood up from an officer chair and affixed a police-cap atop his head, before turning and opening a door behind his desk "Cat, you have this shift."

Without any kind of response, the rhino walked around the desk and out through the doors which the Judy, Nick and Brandon had just entered; snorting at the trio as he angrily walked on by, heavy footsteps resounding down the corridor.

"What's his problem?" thought Brandon aloud after ensuring the man in question was out of earshot.

"He doesn't like foxes all that much," stated Nick "Guess he doesn't like you either."

"Nick, don't say that," the Lieutenant replied "You know he doesn't."

"Are you kidding? He's had it in the neck for me ever since I got here."

"It's not you Nick-"

"Excuse me, Lieutenant Hopps?"

The pair grew silent as a new voice was heard; turning to the desk, the aforementioned 'Cat' had just sat down; Cat being a tall yet slim female panther, with pristine black fur and emerald eyes. Despite her appearance however, the youthful glint in her eyes and attitude suggested that she was much younger than she put on; a new recruit fresh from some kind of academy maybe?

"Er, yes?" replied Judy.

"Can I just say what a pleasure it is to finally meet you in person," beamed the panther, happiness flooding her voice as she suddenly sounded overwhelmed "The only bunny police officer, and with an amazing rec- oh, sorry, I'm getting off topic, just it's good to meet you! Anyway, what can I do for you?"

"That's okay," replied Judy, flattered "We need you to log Mr Ruback in the ZPD database and get a holding cell for him."

"O- oh, okay, er sure," stammered Cat, brain and mouth failing her upon seeing the unknown creature before her, coupled with slight embarrassment. With a few moments of clicking and typing, Cat was finally logged in onto the ZPD database, and finally had a file ready for filling out.

"Okay, I'm ready; so then, Mr Ruback, your full name?"

"Brandon Ruback."

"Okay... Birth date?"

"25th April... 1998? I'm 17."

"Ah ha, okay your species?"

"Err, Human."

"Human, human, hu- Well, it's not on here, hmph, I'll leave it blank," muttered Cat, eyes dancing across the screen "We'll need to take your fingerprints sir, so your hands please."

"Hey, Nick, could you er," nodded Brandon, subconsciously pulling his arms forward only to remember they were restrained "Take my handcuffs off?"

With a quick glance to Judy, and a nod from her to give the go-ahead, Nick quickly withdrew a set of keys and after a second taken in finding the right one, with a set of *clicks* unlocked and removed the cuffs from around Brandon's hands. The young man in response eagerly brought his hands before him, rubbing them upon eachother; trying to remove the marks left by the handcuffs around his wrists, and assessing the bruising and sensitivity on his left hand. For now he would have to hope it wasn't serious, and that it would go with time.

With a view of the boy's hands, Cat quickly sorted through an unseen box beneath the desk, before withdrawing a piece of card with 10 separate, black-outlined boxes; images of highlighted fingers on hand-images above each, indicating which fingerprints were required where. Brandon was subsequently guided through the slow and repetitive process of having his finger prints taken, tips of his digits blackened.

"Thank you, Mr Ruback," the panther said absentmindedly whilst scanning his fingerprints before gesturing towards a door opposite the desk, behind the trio "Lieutenant Hopps, Officer Wilde, could you escort Mr Ruback to the processing room please?"

"Sure," obliged the Lieutenant, leading the human towards the room; grey-painted door separating the room from the corridor. The bunny however was brought to a halt, too short to reach the handle...

"Don't you worry Carrots, I've got this," smiled Nick smugly, reaching up and nonchalantly pulling the handle down and the door open.

With a playful glare from Judy, Brandon and Nick soon followed her into the 'processing room.' The room itself wasn't much to behold in the grand scheme of things. Past the door, there lay a small desk with all manner of computer equipment assembled on its top; a series of wires leading to wall plug-sockets and a camera positioned in the centre of the room affixed to some form of metallic rod, with the whole rig attached to a sort of base with wheels atop a track; the track obviously for moving the camera left to right, the rod though... Brandon was left uncertain. In front of the camera lay a police line-up wall; the whole wall having had a section with black and white stripes, with each stripe representing a height difference of 6 inches. It was at this point Brandon truly understood how tall the room was, as a few seconds of gawking brought about the realisation that the room was as tall as a house! Well, at least by rough estimation anyway.

 _'Maybe that rod allows the camera to be set to different heights.'_

The young man's thoughts were brought to a close as the sound of the door being opened behind him signaled the entrance of someone other than the bunny-fox duo. Indeed, Cat had made her appearance; placard in hand.

"Alright Mr Ruback, just take this placard, and stand against the wall there, please," gestured Cat, pointing to the left side of the wall, beside the height scale "Oh, and jacket and your, er, footwear off, thank you."

Whilst Nick resided on a chair at the right side of the room, cleaning his aviators with his shirt whilst his counterpart stood beside him, cap in hands, Brandon hastily removed his jacket and shoes; shoes came off first after a brief moment of unlacing and subsequently placed cap-first against the wall, with the leather jacket soon being slipped off, loosely folded in half and laid on top of the shoes.

 _'Hope it doesn't get dirty...'_

Soon after, Brandon positioned himself against the wall, as instructed; cold concrete chilling his back as he attempted to stand as straight as possible. The placard was soon repositioned after a gesture from Cat, so as to ensure it was in just the right spot for his ID photographs; the placard however lacked any real form of identification on the front aside from an ID number, date, and 'Zootopia Police Department' in bold white print. With a motion from Cat, Brandon looked to the camera.

3, 2, 1... *click*

The young man turned to the left for a side-shot, and followed the same procedure; soon enough with the second and last photograph taken, the process was over. Brandon proceeded to return his placard to the surprisingly tall panther, nearly six inches taller than him, before walking over towards and replacing his boots. With the comfortable feeling of fabric under his feet once more, the boy was at some of ease; he'd leave his jacket off for the moment, too warm for his tastes to be wearing leather.

 _'Wait a second, leather? Oh god... This is a problem,'_ he panicked, heart skipping a beat _'I'm wearing an animal's skin!'_

"Okay Mr Ruback, the officers will now escort you to your holding cell, where you'll await an interview," concluded Cat, finishing her work on the computer "Lieutenant Hopps, could you please? Cell 17 I think."

"Sure," agreed Judy, replacing her cap "Let's roll Nick."

Brandon couldn't protest, not right now anyway; Cat had abruptly put a stop to any argument or even statement in return. Instead all he could do was as she said, and sure enough, Lieutenant Hopps and Officer Wilde were walking him to a holding cell; the fox taking an extra moment to ensure his aviator lenses were spec-free. The bunny could sense his stress, taking note of the boy's eyes darting to and fro, watching out for any form of activity.

"You alright, Brandon?"

"Oh, sorry, yeah I guess," the suspect stuttered slightly "Just uh, well, I'll explain in the interview."

Reaching his cell, the bunny and human waited for Officer Wilde to open the door; a large metal construction of wood with plating to act as reinforcement, kept secure with a lock, with what looked like a sliding hatch of metal midway up for prisoner observation. With a heavy set of clicks, the door was unlocked and pulled open, with Brandon soon ushered inside the cell.

'It's cozy enough.' he supposed, looking the room over. Indeed, it had the bare necessities required; a padded mat on a raised section of flooring to act as a bed to the back, and to the left a toilet/sink. The room seemed in good condition with the toilet/sink having been cleaned recently and the faint smell of cleaning agent in the air. Once in the center of the room, he turned around as the officers had finished their task.

"Don't worry Mr Ruback, you'll be out soon," assured Nick "Just stay calm."

With the formalities and goodbyes brought to an end, the door was slowly closed; Brandon getting one last glimpse of the outside. With the sturdy *thunk* of the door being closed, and the deep clicks of the lock, he was sealed within this room and to his fate. Imprisonment in such a place however didn't cause calmness, and instead brought further worries and fears. Fears of his future, to be precise. Brandon wasn't one for random occurrences or chance; he preferred certainty and reliability, some form of control over his own experiences. Some things sadly were beyond his control, or even his understanding, such as his predicament with now being stuck in another universe for all he knew.

 _'Well, might as well make the most of my time here.'_

He turned and walked towards his cell-bed, placing his half-folded jacket at one side, and standing on the other; trying to get a glimpse through a glass panel above his bed he'd only just noticed. This effort however was left unrewarded, as the glass was blurred, in turn ruining any chances of getting a glimpse of the outside. In spite of his sorrow, Brandon had attained a new sense and desire for exploration, adventure even; his inquisitive nature spurring him onward. For now though, he would have to wait and bide his time.

With little else to do however, he slumped onto the bed; even if only for a few minutes at most as restlessness ate away at his mind. He had to do something. In light of such feelings, Brandon swung his legs over the bed and brought himself to a stand. With the rolling of his head, arms and legs, coupled with plenty of light stretches, Brandon dropped to the floor; legs shoulder-width apart, arms in front of him. Tensing his legs straight, and pushing himself up, the boy began a series of press-ups; the number of which were of little concern to him. Instead, the length of time Brandon could keep the exercise going for was his focus, deep breaths signalling each push.

For however long it had been, by the end of the press-up series the lone human's arms were sore and tired; burning in his upper arms beckoning him to stop. With one last push, Brandon quickly lowered himself to the floor, arms nearly giving in. Heart beating fast, breaths deep and long, he laid on the floor for a while; letting his body calm down, get back to normal, before rolling over and bringing himself to a crouched position. Heart still quickened, Brandon pushed himself to his feet and approached the holding cell's sink. With the turn of a tap there was the reward of a steady stream of cool water, warmed slightly by day's heat. The temperature was of little concern however as Brandon cupped his hands under the water stream and with enough water collected brought them to his face. The refreshing cold of the water was a wonderful feeling as hands rubbed up and down the boy's face; washing off the day's dirt. After about a minute of dragging his hands across his face and neck and washing said hands as he went, Brandon upon cupping his hands and collecting water brought the fluid to his lips, sucking up a mouthful. It was a welcome relief to have his thirst finally quenched after hours of being unable to do so.

With such desires sated, and tiredness in the form of aching muscles descending upon him, Brandon decided he could do with some rest. Crawling onto the mat, the boy rested the back of his head upon his leather jacket, arms crossed loosely across his chest with legs positioned in a similar manner. The lighting of the room appeared to dim as Brandon's eyes began to close, sleep beckoning him forward to the realm of unconsciousness and rest.

With a jolt, Brandon woke up, jarred to a seated position; his jaw dropped. He was in his house, his bedroom... It was morning... He quickly swung his legs over the side of his bed, gazing around the room in a haphazard way in disbelief. Bedroom door to his front, desk and work-space to his left; both made of a sturdy oak wood, the latter however covered in all manner of paperwork. Sixth Form education was proving to be more jam-packed than he'd thought after signing up to the course nearly two years ago. To his right was a cabinet of similar make, containing all manner of clothing within, with a small, black flat-screen television on top; the television itself perched upon a games console.

 _"Brandon?"_

'Is that mum?' he thought, finding his discarded dressing-gown on the floor and shrugging it on; for some reason Brandon was wearing his flannel shirt and jeans from the night before, really strange.

Without a second thought Brandon made a move for his bedroom door, however he didn't go far. Instead it was as if he were stuck in syrup, each step he tried to take being drawn-out, every movement being sluggish.

 _"Brandon, you awake?"_

The boy tried to speak a reply, but nothing came from his lips but a silent shout. Panicking, Brandon made a great effort to dive forwards towards the door; he moved! He was moving!

This dive however didn't bid Brandon's future well. His legs gave way mid-dive, causing him to fall to the ground as he let out another ghostly yell; arms stretched out before him in a poor effort to break his fall. Instead however, his arms also failed him, and Brandon after a jarring shunt from his arms absorbing some of the impact of his fall himself felt the force of the fall as his body hit the floor. Pain sparked across his body, especially across his left side as he'd turned mid-fall as a result of his left arm giving way mere moments earlier. With the hints of tears at the farthest corners of his eyes, Brandon threw his arm out before him, reaching for his door.

After a single blink, he awoke in his holding cell, on the floor, splayed out, right arm stretched outwards in a desperate bid for movement, to reach his door; his door that was no longer there... Instead the door was hastily opened and the Lieutenant ran to his side, shortly followed by her partner; their shouts going unheard as the whole world went silent. With the help of an extra officer, and the poorly-organised pushes of Brandon's feet, Hopps finally hauled the young towards the barren wall of his cell.

Brandon's whole world was a spin, the desire to spin and pass out gripping his mind and stomach; however the blurred image of bunny officer waving her hand in front of his face to keep him awake, albeit panicked. The pointing of a flashlight into his eyes thanks to Nick felt like pins were being lanced into his sockets. With the feeling of a cold damp on his face, Brandon was finally brought around, hearing slowly but surely returning, eyes focusing.

"Hey Brand... Stay with m... Come on!" shouted Hopps "Hey, you there?"

With his returned vision, Brandon finally got a view of the situation clearly; he was now slumped against the wall of his cell, being tended to by a bunny with a soaking wet towel which had just been applied to his forehead; flashlight-wielding partner retreating with a sigh of relief. The boy rolled over, hand brought to his forehead as he closed his eyes.

"Yeah, yeah I'm here," he groaned "God I feel like shit."

"What happened?" asked Judy, hand gripping his shoulder.

"I don't know, dreaming I think."

"Well whatever it was, it scared the heck out of us," Nick sighed "Please don't do it again."

"I don't plan on it." grimly smiled Brandon, pressing himself up.

With the careful watch and readiness to catch provided by the officers, Brandon sluggishly dragged himself to his feet, arm pressed against a wall for support.

"Are you okay?" asked the bunny, deep eyes beset with concern looking into his.

"No, no I'm good, thanks," Brandon grimaced "Apart from feeling like I've been on a roller-coaster, I'm good."

"Okay, well we were going to take you to your interview," started Hopps, glancing out the thrown-open cell-door quickly "But since you've had a er... Accident-"

"I'm fine, I can make it," finished the human, taking the soaked towel and dragging it across his face "What time is it anyway?"

"Four thirty three, pm," stated Wilde, glancing at his phone "Your interview's in 7 minutes."

"Well then, let's not keep anybody waiting."

With the towel being thrown onto the sink with a dull thud, and Brandon having donned his jacket in his sleep, Lieutenant Hopps led him and Officer Wilde out of the cell, door being closed behind them by a now visible Cat. The walk down the corridor wasn't the most pleasant, vertigo still somewhat plaguing the human's steps. Nevertheless, Brandon persevered, and with his escort was once more led to and through the double doors.

The foyer looked the same as before, albeit more... Late, for lack of better words. The afternoon light really effected the brightness of the building, long shadows now being cast along the recently cleaned floor. Activity, similarly to the day, was winding down; fewer police officers to be seen throughout the foyer. Of course though, Clawhauser was at the desk, apparently showing some other officers a video on his smartphone; too engrossed in the entertainment to notice the human exceeding six feet in height casually walk on by. Then again, there were bloody elephants, rhinos and giraffes in this world; a human in the grand scheme of things compared to the other animals would be pretty easy to miss in the whole mess of heights. With many fewer pairs of eyes on the trio than before, Judy, Nick and Brandon made their way across the foyer to an opposite set of opened double doors leading onto a flight of stairs.

Making their way up the stairs and making a left turn, the officers led Brandon to a room with a door just like any other in the building, with a blue paint-job and the words 'INTERROGATION ROOM' in metal lettering screwed to the top of the door. Brandon couldn't help but feel a little antsy; 'interrogation' didn't sound like the most welcoming of terminology in this instance...

"You ready?" asked Judy, turning to her 'prisoner' of sorts.

"Now or never," stated Brandon, looking to the floor before at her, nodding "Okay, I'm ready."

The Lieutenant nodded in return, proceeding to approach the door and raise a furry hand before making a trio of knocks and then waiting anxiously with her hands by her sides, awaiting a response.

"You want to knock again, Judy?" asked Nick, eyebrow raised.

The rabbit after exchanging glances was about to knock once more before a loud, commanding voice was heard from within the room.

 _"Enter."_

Author's note: Well, I hope you guys and gals liked it. Sorry for the late update, this story is likely to be updated on a weekly basis thanks to the impending exams to be performed within a couple months time. As such, I'm sorry if this chapter feels rushed in any way. Anywho, speak with you all later in the comments, and see you round in the next chapter; have a good day. : )


	4. Truth and reconciliation

With the slightest hint of apprehension, primarily on Brandon's part, the Lieutenant let him and her partner into the Interrogation Room; door making the slightest of whines as it was pushed, preceded by the atypical sound of the door knob clicking upon being turned.

The room was relatively boring in design, with a grey laminate floor surrounded by four white washed walls; six panel lights affixed in the ceiling in rows of 3 down the room, shining a bright uncoloured light throughout the room, truly bringing the lifelessness and severity of the situation to attention. As if it isn't already.

Within this room however, with a turn to the right, Brandon was presented with the sight of a cape buffalo in officer attire sitting behind a simple steel table with a file placed on top of the furniture's smooth surface; shines of light bouncing from the two rows of golden stars pinned across the man's collar. The monster of a man's gaze met Brandon's, light yet deep eyes seeming to stare into the boy's very soul. The human could only look away as his shirt suddenly became uncomfortable, accompanied with the slight warming and reddening of his face. Brandon wasn't the shyest of people, having happily conversed and paid attention to many people throughout his lifetime, but becoming the centre of attention was anything but his desire; both in this world and the previous.

"Please, have a seat Mr Ruback." gestured the buffalo to an empty chair opposite him.

Brandon with a glance either side to his escort slowly approached the officer, drawing his leather jacket and placing it across the back of the chair before withdrawing said object with a groan of chair-leg on floor.

"Lieutenant Hopps, Officer Wilde, you can wait outside," stated the buffalo, motioning towards the door "I have the situation under control."  
"Yes sir," replied Hopps tensely, making a move for the open door "Come on, Nick."

The bunny and fox soon exited the room, their departure watched with slight despair by Brandon before he finally accepted his situation; sitting down in chair with a whisper of a groan, hands clasped together before him between his legs whilst glancing at the officer and then the table.

"I am Chief Bogo of the Zootopia Police Department," introduced the man whilst placing his hands, fingers interlocked, upon the table "And so I am Chief of the very station you are sitting in.

"You made quite the commotion this afternoon, Mr Ruback," continued the Chief, sliding his hands across the metal and drawing the file in between the two occupants of the room and drawing it open "So, let us begin. What is a _human_ doing here in Zootopia?"

Brandon shifted awkwardly in his seat, before finally building a coherent sentence.

"I um, I don't know," sighed the boy gloomily "One second I was stepping out of a bus, and the next... I just woke up here, Zootopia, in a park."

"You just woke up?"

"All I remember was stepping out of a bus and then falling onto a field, I swear."

"Mr Ruback, I nor anyone else in Zootopia knows who or what you are," stated Bogo "Why should I trust you?"

"Because I'm all you've got, Chief," affirmed the man, looking in the buffalo's eyes "I am the only human here, your only lead."

"I guess that will have to do. So, tell me Mr Ruback, what did you do after 'falling onto a field'?"

"I got up and ran across the road, street, whatever it was," recalled Brandon, hands moving slightly as he spoke "and then into an alleyway, between the rear sides of some buildings, and stayed there."

"Lieutenant Hopps says you had company in that alley." affirmed Bogo, half a brow raised as he leaned onto the table.

"Yes," confirmed the human "Yeah, I uh, ran into a couple of... Boars? Tusk and Butch, I think they were called... They attacked me."

"And?"

"I fought them off, with a pipe I found on the floor, and ran; that's when I ran into Lieutenant Hopps and Officer Wilde. They arrested me whilst the boars ran off."

"Are these the boars you were attacked by?" asked Bogo, withdrawing a photograph from his chest-pocket and presented it to Brandon.

The human leaned forwards, looking at a printout of two coloured mugshots; mugshots of two very grumpy and recognisable boars.

"Yes, thos're them."

Chief Bogo withdrew the photograph, replacing it in his pocket.

"So then, with that issue seen to, let's discuss something else. Where are you from?"

"London, England... Earth," answered Brandon "But that's probably useless, you don't even know what I'm talking about."

"We know," assured the Chief, shifting over Brandon's profile page to reveal a printed map "Your phone was searched through by our experts; data from a few of your applications was used to construct a map of your 'Earth.' What you're saying has some use after all."

Brandon couldn't help it as his hands found their way to the table, left on top of the paper as his eyes danced across the page; it was Earth all right, blandly coloured, but it was there. The young man's heart ached at the sight of his home, his homeworld. The sad reality of the situation however however soon replaced those feelings with a sinking feeling.

"What happens now? What happens to me?"

"That's where you decide. As you're not from our world you technically have no rights, and we could send you to our scientists for research," proposed Bogo, instilling a sense of fear in the man before him "Or you could help us by answering our questions, and then from there... We can help you however we can."

"I'll have the latter option, please," said Brandon weakly "Just... Please don't treat me like an experiment, a plaything."

"Don't worry, Mr Ruback," reassured the Buffalo "We'll get this straightened out. First though, you require an examination."

"Examination?"

"Yes, our doctors will explain when it comes to the time, but long story short you aren't from here, and for us to understand you physical examinations are required. Please bear in mind this is for your safety and ours. That issue aside, do you have any questions?"

"Where am I Chief? How do I get home?"

"You're at the Zootopia Police Station, Earth; you'll have information provided to you soon. In regards to how you can get home, I'm sorry Mr Ruback, but we don't know."

"Okay," nodded Brandon solemnly, steadying himself "Is there anything else I should know?"

"That's all for now," finished Bogo "You can perform these exams now or at a later time, whichever is best for you."

"Let's do them now then," stated the boy, eye-to-eye with the buffalo "I have nothing else to do. The sooner the better."

"Good."

The Chief soon stood to his feet, compiling the contents of the folder before gripping it with his left hand.

'Christ, he's huge' was all that came to mind as the 8+ foot tall man stood.

"After you Mr Ruback." said Bogo, raising his hand towards the door. Without a second thought, Brandon pushed himself up from his chair, proceeding to shrug on his leather jacket; the feeling of animal skin on his suddenly feeling displeasurable, producing a chilling shiver which travelled up and through his spine. Thought and feelings aside, Brandon made his way towards the door, deftly opening and walking through it and nearly into Judy and Nick.

Noticing the presence of their ex-prisoner, Judy quickly turned around and looked up to him.

"So how'd it go?"

"It went alright," nodded Brandon "I've got to have some 'physical exams' performed, whatever they are..."

"Lieutenant Hopps, Officer Wilde, you are to take Mr Ruback to Downtown District Hospital," explained a now visible Chief Bogo, large frame filling the Interrogation Room's doorway "A meat-wagon and escort are outside and ready; you two will form part of the escort. Understood?"

"Yes sir," nodded the Lieutenant "How many officers will be with us?"

"Given the situation, there will be eight officers including you two in patrol cars, two in the meat-wagon, and six more on standby. Keep your eyes peeled Hopps, we can't risk anything; don't let anybody get close to the suspect, clear?"

"Clear, Chief," nodded the bunny, turning to her partner "Ready?"

"Ready as ever, Jud'."

"Let's go."

Door closed and locked by the buffalo, Brandon was led back the way they'd came; down the stairs, through the doors and across the foyer, the walk more relaxed than previously. It was at this point Brandon's mind began to wonder, questions of what he would be required to do for these 'examinations.' The bad feeling of needles and all other medical equipment came to mind; each one painful than the last...

 _'No, you've got to be positive, come on Brandon, pull your shit together!'_

Nevertheless, the thoughts wouldn't go away; this whole world was so alien yet so familiar... The possibility of him actually being in a coma and this his dream was food for thought.

 _'Maybe this is all a dream.'_

But then again, that stumbling around earlier could have either been from some form of coma-induced occurrence, or perhaps from the head wound gained in his alleyway brawl; there wasn't any bruising thankfully but that didn't eliminate the tenderness entirely. Now though the pain was but a shard of what it once was. Either way, he had to make his way through it and reach the end, whatever it may be.

The trio were twenty yards, at most, from the doors when Officer Wilde scampered before them and brought the group to a halt.

"Wait wait wait, we can't just walk out there."

"What do you mean, Nick?" asked the Lieutenant, crossing her arms in puzzlement.

"We put him in the van wearing handcuffs; what do you think the reporters will think if he's walking around freely?"

"He's got a point, Lieutenant," agreed Brandon "The media would go crazy if they saw me like that."

"Exactly."

"Hmm..." thought Judy aloud, right foot tapping the floor incessantly as she came to a decision "Fine, we'll 'cuff him; Mr Ruback, if you'd please."

Without a word Brandon calmly knelt down a little and clasped his hands behind his back, awaiting the chill of metal on skin; sure enough within moments a bunny had handcuffed him, arms tensing slightly at the touch of deft hands at work. Hands restrained, the boy rolled his shoulders in an attempt to attain whatever comfort possible, jacket collar riding up his neck.

 _'I need a new top.'_

"So, how big a media presence are we talking here?" enquired the human, trying to get a glance through the doors.

"Oh, hehe," laughed the fox awkwardly, eyeing the doors and rubbing his paws together "Let's just say every station in Zootopia wants to see you."

"Aw crap."

"Well let's not keep them waiting," finished Judy, checking her wristwatch "Let's get going."

Sure enough, the trio made their way out through a set of double doors, cool breeze blowing past them, offering a refreshing breath of air which Brandon took eagerly; the smell and taste of fresh air... The little things in life were what made it enjoyable.

Any comfort however was shortly lost as the human was led down the steps, in clear view for all to see; for the media, more accurately. In front of the station, some sixty or so metres from the main entrance, there were news crews all over the Station's front lawn; a mix of all animals both big and small, herbivorous and carnivorous. It was a mess of reporters, crewmen, technology and a stretched line of police officers holding back the tide of pesky media workers; the poor boys in blue were being pushed to their limit with the crews catching sight of the lone human, vying for a closer look and clearer shot.

 _'Sooner this is over, the better.'_

Thankfully the walk to the meat-wagon was a short one; the 5 vehicles formed up in a column in the parking lot, transport in the middle with two patrol cars in front and behind. It would hopefully be enough for the journey to the Hospital.

Brandon was soon guided to the rear of the prisoner transport van, long shadows drawn across the tarmac, the Sun to his rear-left providing a soothing warmth across his neck and ears. Strangely though, for the briefest of moments in the middle of a city with the Sun to his back, Brandon felt home... Brought to a halt behind the vehicle, the boy was given enough time to glance at and recognise the number plate; the number plate from the van that had picked him up in the first place, from...

 _'Cedar Square wasn't it? Hmph, think so.'_

It was only a few moments as the doors were opened by nobody other than the same tiger- Marcus- from mere hours earlier; if Brandon was a gambling man, his bets would have been on the same wolf occupying the driver's seat. Urged into the van, Brandon resumed the position of prisoner; sitting there once again and staring off out the windows.

Strange, he'd nearly bought the idea of being somewhat of a 'guest' to Zootopia, but nope, he was still being treated like a prisoner. He was most likely in the back of a police van for safety, but the real question was who was being kept safe? Were the citizens being kept safe from him, or was he being kept safe from the citizens? That was not the only matter however, as it had only just dawned on Brandon that he knew practically nothing of Zootopia, or the world around him...

 _'Just have to wait until later,'_ thought the boy _'Later.'_

Not intent on having a recurrence of the last time, Brandon steadied his feet and soon after the van's engine started up. With a brief period of radio chatter, the convoy was on the move; each turn a drawn-out process with so many vehicles to keep in file and together. Throughout the course of the ride, Brandon kept up his sightseeing game, gazing out the window as the world moved on by. Things got noticeably busy, the current time similarly to his own world appearing to be the rush-hour; lines of cars flanking the convoy as lights and sirens signalled the civilians to kindly move their cars out of the vehicles' path.

It was an opportune time for Brandon to formulate a plan; for all he knew, he could have been lied to all this time.

'Keep your eyes open, look out for anything suspicious. Be vigilant, anything could happen.'

Nevertheless, something else sprung to mind and quickly replaced his previous train of thought; what else would the ZPD have looked at on his phone?

 _'Photos, contacts, music, apps... They've probably had a heyday with it... Nosey bastards. Then again though, standard operating procedure? Possibly... No idea what my government would, or wouldn't, do though... Who knows?'_

For the next few minutes Brandon numbly sat there, boredom and restlessness growing. Thankfully however, the ride soon drew to a stop; the convoy having driven into a parking lot of some kind. With time apparently being of the essence, the van's rear doors were opened and the captive human called out. Brandon could only oblige, stepping out the door with a hint of awkwardness as he got used to not moving his legs constantly to keep himself upright.

With the appearance of the bunny-fox duo, the Lieutenant offering a reassuring smile, Brandon was once more escorted; this time to the Downtown District Hospital, with the building's name and purpose, indicated in a similar style to the ZPD station, above the three sets of double doors. The Hospital itself was something to behold, a vast construction of metal, glass and concrete at least four storeys tall and 200 metres across; modern in every sense. The parking lot before it was also pleasant to look at, maintained to a good quality; unlike the blue, grey and white building, the parking lot was a slightly dull but efficient black and white, but the decorations around the grounds in the form of trees and smaller collections of plants provided some vibrancy.

Brandon assumed they were heading the correct way, towards the middle set of the double doors considering there was little input or direction from the pair of officers flanking him. Making their way up the stairs, the doors soon parted; allowing the mammal trio entry.

Inside the hospital, it appeared to have the similar layout expected off all hospitals; a comfortably sized foyer, square in design, with a help-desk in the centre-middle behind many rows of seats big and small. These seats being occupied by the odd visitor, many of them remaining empty; it seemed that as the day was winding down, so too was the flow of patients and their relatives. Of course though, in true hospital fashion, a lot of the furniture and walls were of prefabricated or rubbery-plastic content; aiding the cleaning and disinfectant process, but not improving the comfort of the waiting at all. Similarly to the outside, the inside of the building maintained a similar colour scheme, with flooring of a light grey and blue colouring and walls maintaining a somewhat dull white colouration.

Sure enough, odd looks were soon made at the presence of a human, in handcuffs, being escorted by police officers; to the extent where an otter began coughing and sputtering whilst being caught mid-sip with a bottle of water, and a lioness desk-attendant dropping a stack of files she had previously been holding and sorting. As silence descended upon the foyer Brandon clasped his cuffed hands together, rubbing them to relieve some sense of awkwardness; although there was little relief to be found as he stood in the open, tall and alien for all to see.

"So where is Dr. Badger then?" asked the Lieutenant absent-mindedly, eyes darting across the room whilst looking for any form of sign, badge or even the supposed Doctor "She was supposed to meet us here."

"I think she'll find us before we find her," replied Nick, drawing a shirt sleeve back and reading his watch "I'll say thirty seconds before she gets here."

"From past experience," groaned Brandon "I'd say an hour."

Author's note: Sorry for the very late upload, everybody. Let's just say certain issues with education, housing and all manner of other things coupled with a form of writer's block has drawn the fourth chapter this far out. Sorry if this chapter seems a bit lackluster, as it's been written over the course of the week during all kinds of situations. Anywho, the next chapter should hopefully be up by this Sunday, and until then, I hope you enjoy what's happening so far. :)

Oh, and don't forget any sort of helpful tips e.g. feedback on chapter length, dialogue, etc. It really helps. :D


	5. New locales, old practices

Much to Brandon's surprise, and relief, the fox was correct; in no more than half a minute, a black-furred white-snouted badger in a lab coat soon made an appearance through a door to the right.

"Lieutenant Hopps, Officer Wilde! Chief Bogo told me you'd be arriving soon with our guest," smiled the badger, approaching the trio, before drawing to a halt; gawking at the human "Well, I knew you were tall; you look taller in person."

"I get that a lot," smiled Brandon, nodding down to the badger before him "The name's Brandon Ruback; may I have the honour of knowing yours, Doctor?"

"Madge Honey Badger," returned the Doctor "Well, I've never met a human before."

"And I a civil honey badger," the boy laughed, noticing the odd look in the woman's eye with a raise of her brow "Sorry, where I'm from honey badgers aren't the uh, doctoring type, per say."

"Hmph, well I'll be," thought the Doctor aloud, hands on her hips "Well we've got a busy day ahead of us Mr Ruback, so let's get going."

With that, the badger turned and led the human with the fox and bunny through the door which she had previously entered, and into a similarly designed and decorated hallway; numerous doors and rows of benches on either side as the path extended further. After around a minute or two of walking, the assortment of animals came to a stop before a door with the name 'Dr. Badger' in capitalised form engraved onto a metal plaque; the cool brass contrasting the warm oak nicely.

"Follow me please," said the Doctor upon opening the door and leading the group inside, Nick closing the door behind them with a soft click. Doctor Badger proceeded to seat herself behind a wooden desk; surrounded by numerous filing cabinets and shelves filled with books. The room was spacious enough, sunlight filling the room from a large pair of windows behind the badger giving sight of the parking lot; light panels above making up the difference from the brightness of the early evening.

"Could you please remove the boy's handcuffs, officers?" asked the Doctor, eyeing the human before her "He's a patient here now; and patients aren't treated like common criminals."

Much to Brandon's comfort, the restraints were subsequently removed; earning a sigh of relief and a stretch of his fingers.

 _'Sick of those bloody things.'_

Soon after he and the officers took seats before the Doctor, keen to get the examinations over and done with; although knowing doctors and their art, this process wouldn't be over quickly.

"So Mr Ruback," started Badger whilst resting her clasped hands atop the table "How have you been during your brief time spent in Zootopia?"

"How have I been?" enquired Brandon in slight disbelief, giving the woman a side-glance "Well aside from getting assaulted, arrested and questioned, it's been alright I guess."

"Well I guess that's what you have to expect when an unknown species turns up in the city," reasoned the Doctor "You're an alien, to put it simply. You caused quite the mess today; your face is all over the news."

"Really?"

"Yep, you may as well be a celebrity."

"Great," sighed the boy, running a hand through his hair "Just what I need."

"Well now the world knows you exist and people will want to know all about you, and so that's where I come in, Sir." smiled the badger, bringing a stack of documents out from underneath her desk "We're going to find out everything we can about you, well, physically at least. The rest can be left to the media."

"Okay... So, what are we going to do then?"

"Well," started Badger whilst pawing through the paperwork "X-ray, MRI scan, general anatomy, posture, everything; well, nearly every test necessary at least."

"Great, how long will that take then?"

"If we get these tests done without delays, I'd say... four hours max."

"Oh great," muttered the human as he slumped back into his chair, seeing similar reactions from the neighbouring bunny and fox as they also looked similarly upset at the prospect of being kept on for a further four hours "Well, I guess we shouldn't waste any time then, should we?"

"If any of us want decent sleep tonight, then no," replied the Doctor, warming towards Brandon's attitude "Well then, if you'll follow me, we can get this over with."

Over the course of the evening, leading into the night, the aforementioned tests and examinations were performed; one after the other, with little breathing room inbetween aside from the walks to and from multiple rooms. First was the species profiling, to put it simply in a makeshift studio. Brandon had been asked to perform various poses, a couple of those similar to a 'Vitruvian Man' by a Lionardo da Vinci, whilst being photographed by the somewhat enthusiastic Doctor; needless to say, the latter was rather disconcerting to say the least upon being required to pose au naturel for a couple of photographs, although was made a lot less troublesome thanks to his police officer escort being asked to stand outside of a the studio. Thankfully for the remainder of the shots however the human was permitted to don his underwear...

Next came the x-rays and MRI-scan; both situations permitting the use of clothing, minus any metal. The x-rays came and went in a matter of minutes; the honey badger's years in her field evidenced with the speed at which she worked. The MRI-scan however... It was a full body scan, and that meant laying on the scanner's bed for one and a half hours. Half an hour into the procedure it was boring, an hour in and it was painful. Come the end however there was relief; although this sense was false, thanks to the many more procedures to come.

Luckily for the group the remaining one and a half hours after passed relatively quickly, with the number of different procedures and exercises combined with walking to so many rooms sapping away the time and relative boredom nicely. Of course though, something had to ruin the experience. In this case it was a blood test.

Blood tests were standard in the medical profession, that much was certain. However, given the situation and the volume required for all the different research and analysis, a pint was required over a vial. To say Brandon was squeamish around needles was an understatement, and by the end of the procedure in spite of the Doctor's attempts of calming him, the boy was pale as a ghost; resorting to propping himself up against a wall, head spinning as he desperately resisted the urge to vomit.

Thankfully that was the end of the damned examinations, and it seemed as though the officers were almost as grateful; Nick having resorted to absent-mindedly sifting through his mobile phone whilst his partner nursed a hot drink, hot chocolate by the mild smell filling the now-occupied Doctor's office. Badger was busying herself with a laptop at her desk, working away in a series of clicks and key-presses every few seconds.

 _'Probably filling out forms...'_

Throughout the majority of the procedures there had been little talking, most effort expended on numerous tasks; except for the man and woman of the ZPD, who'd been casually chatting away until now, growing tired of having nothing to do but sit around waiting. Brandon meanwhile had spent the past hours trying to figure out how he'd answer certain questions; questions would be inevitable, certainly ones regarding what his world was like, how he'd got here, who he was, what humans were... The mere prospect of having to explain this all was what ground away at his hopes of getting questions over and done with quickly.

 _'If only I had Wikipedia,'_ the boy thought whilst mindlessly rubbing the collar of the leather jacket he now had in his hands _'If only.'_

"So Mr Ruback," started Doctor Badger as she gave her hands a rest from typing "Would you mind having a chat?"

"Not at all," the boy replied with strained eyes, only realising now he would currently be in bed by now back home "What do you want to talk about?"

"Well, you said about honey badgers back where you're from, what do you mean by them not being the 'doctoring type'?"

"Oh, right," Brandon thought aloud as he shakily brought himself to his feet before shuffling towards and sitting himself in a chair before the Doctor "Well where I'm from animals like you don't really, well, exist. Here all of you get along fine, but where I'm from it's a dog-eat-dog world, so to speak; animal on animal, fighting for survival. It's survival of the fittest, at least with anything which isn't human anyway. To put it bluntly, honey badgers are some of the most territorial, dangerous and crazy creatures on the planet; they take on lions like it's a walk in the park."

"So you could say they are savage then?"

"Yeah, I guess so."

Badger wasn't the only one surprised by the revelation; Brandon also earned some odd looks from Hopps and Wilde, the duo quickly giving eachother a glance before the rabbit spoke up.

"So what about humans then? How do you survive?"

"It's like Zootopia," stated Brandon simply "Replace all the animals in Zootopia with humans with different features, like eye, skin and hair colour, and you'll have a good idea of humanity. Although it's rarely this diverse, with different races being found in a, uh what's the word, higher density depending on where they're from."

"Races?"

"Oh, they're the word used to describe the features distinctive to humans of specific different groups; these groups, races, are usually symbolised by specific features such as skin colour, eye colour, hair colour, even build," Brandon elaborated as his hand movements emphasised his words "Humans are all one species, but due to us living in different locations across our planet we evolved to suit our environments."

"You sound like you planned that," noted Nick whilst cleaning his phone's screen with a sleeve "You getting ready for the press?"

"Yeah, how'd you know?"

"Nobody talks like that," the sly fox smiled "Except for me."

That suave comment earned the man an elbow to the side from Judy, causing the fox to form a wry smile as he faked pain.

"Ow Carrots, that hurt!"

"What hurt more, Nick; your ribs or your pride?"

"Hmph, clever bunny."

"Dumb fox," Judy finished with a cute smile, turning to Brandon "Don't worry about him, this fox is all bark and no bite."

"So how do humans and animals coexist then?" asked the Doctor having halted her typing to continue the questioning.

"Oh, well, we don't," started Brandon "At least not always. Some animals, like cats and dogs for example, we breed and keep as pets and companions. Others like birds, bunnies and foxes we have living around us, although we rarely um... Interact with eachother. Others like cows and pigs we..."

"You what?"

The jacket in Brandon's hands felt as though it were made of lead; draining the strength from his body as he realised how much of a blunder he'd made.

"What is it, Brandon?" continued Judy, concern evident in her eyes and voice.

"If I told you... You'd think I was monster, and us humans savage..."

It took Judy a moment but soon she, and the others in the room, put two and two together.

"You... You eat animals?"

Brandon just sat there in silence, his failure to talk evidence enough of his guilt before he finally spoke.

"Others like cows and pigs we breed, raise and use."

"Like?"

"Food and clothing mainly... There's a reason I didn't feel comfortable with this," finished the human as he motioned to the leather jacket "So are you going to arrest me?"

The officers and Doctor just sat there for a minute, contemplating their situation in silence. Even the fox was at a loss for words, just staring at the human in disbelief whilst Brandon just sat there; his partner with her mouth agape.

"You said these animals are savage, yes?" enquired Doctor Badger, seeking some form of truth.

"Yeah, they are."

"They're not like us?"

"They don't walk on two legs and talk; no, I guess not." reasoned the boy.

"Hmm..." hummed the Doctor as she brought a hand to her chin "Perhaps you're not as savage as you think."

"What do you mean?"

"Well look at it this way," assured the Doctor as she closed her laptop and brought her hands onto the table "Here in our world, we also eat animals; not cows and pigs mind you, but we do eat fish and insects because they are what we would describe as savage."

"So because the animals in his world are savage, it's okay to eat them?" furthered Nick.

"Exactly," concluded the Doctor "Well, it was okay to eat them where he's from; but here he can't. Although seeing as he hasn't so far, he's innocent of any crime."

"And what about this?" said Brandon in hushed tones whilst eyeing his jacket.

"Well, I don't think it would be a good idea to wear it in public; let alone even have it," thought the Doctor "Your best idea would be to get rid of it."

"Hmph, very well, we'll have to burn it," agreed the human, turning to the officers "My wallet's also made of leather; cow. We'll need to burn it too."

"Why burn it?" enquired Judy as she tried to figure out her standing with the human.

"We can't let it exist; from what I've heard about your world, there would be chaos if anyone found out."

"Pictures of you are all over the TV," interjected Nick, "There's no chance of having that jacket disappear now."

"Shit... Well that idea's down the drain now."

"Doctor Badger, is there any chance you could explain human _customs_ in your paper?" proposed the bunny "You could try to change people's minds."

"They'll find out and take the news however they like," groaned her partner "You're only doing damage mitigation."

"It's worth a shot," stated the Lieutenant "Can you Doctor?"

"I guess I can," theorised Badger, quickly drawing up her laptop screen and typing away "It's worth a shot."

Brandon could only sit there and let out a quiet yawn as he pressed against his eyes with a thumb and index finger, the slightest of tears forming at the corners.

"You alright, Mr Ruback?" asked the Lieutenant.

"Yeah, yeah, just tired," moaned Brandon as he gave her a bloodshot look "And please call me Brandon, makes me feel awkward otherwise."

"Okay, Brandon," nodded the bunny "So Doctor, do you need us here or can we go?"

"Oh, sorry, you can head out now officers," smiled the honey badger warmly "Luckily I've got a good memory, helps me as a doctor. It was a pleasure meeting you, Mr Ruback."

A hand was soon extended by the Doctor, which Brandon graciously shook without a second thought.

"Likewise, Doctor; let's hope the next time I'm here I'm here for more of your research."

Just as soon as the conversation had begun, it had ended; with an interspecies handshake and farewells. With Brandon once more cuffed, the trio made their way out of the room and towards the foyer; Doctor closing the door behind them.

+"Lieutenant Hopps to escort units, leaving the hospital now." radioed Judy as she led the way through the double doors.

 _+"Affirm' Lieutenant."+_

Sure enough outside the hospital, after passing through a brightly lit and rather empty foyer, there was the police convoy; formed up just outside the entrance along the hospital-front emergency vehicle-road. Behind those vehicles sure enough were a rabble of reporters, many fewer than before though with around six different teams being kept at bay by the officers of the ZPD. The entire area however was painted in bright red and blue flashes of light thanks to the vehicles, creating a dazzling display in the darkness of the night; the time being just past 22:13 the last time Brandon checked. Thankfully though, for both his public exposure and eyesight, Brandon was swiftly led into the rear of the meatwagon; the familiar surroundings funnily comforting as the doors were closed behind him, outside shouts and vies for attention muffled by steel, glass and more steel.

The ZPD were surprisingly quick in their exit, taking off from the hospital-front in less than a minute of Brandon setting foot in the transport-compartment.

 _'Probably grown tired of the media; they've been at it for over four hours now... Poor sods.'_

The boy would have kept up his game of I-spy but tiredness was clawing away at his consciousness; every few seconds his vision turning to black before returning to a dark blurred image within the vehicle. Tiredness was one of his few weaknesses; schoolwork and the desire to not 'waste' evenings fuelling the cycle of sleep deprivation and caffeine. Despite the advice of friends and family, he still stayed awake late into the night indulging in all manner of activities ranging from watching videos online to getting a last half hour of revision in the night before a test. Brandon's body-clock and restlessness didn't do much in the way of helping him lay in on weekends and get some much needed rest either.

 _'Damn my sense of time.'_

The remainder of the ride was left to his imagination as Brandon was awoken with a jolt; the police-van having brought itself to a stop. With the noise of driver and passenger doors being opened and closed, followed by the clunking of locks, the doors to the prisoner compartment were opened. In a semi-dazed state, the human brought himself to an awkward stand; pair of tired legs clumsily supporting him. Slowly stepping out the van, nearly losing his footing thanks to his legs being half asleep.

Few words were spoken as Brandon was led away from the escort by Hopps and Wilde, instead letting the officers go about their business. Sure enough, a few minutes later the boy found himself in the cell block after passing through the near silent and empty foyer; a lone Wolf at the desk tapping away at his smart-phone. Cat was at the desk once again, busying herself with all manner of work; well it at least appeared so, before she appeared to close something on the computer quite quickly upon realising that other people were in her presence. If she hadn't any fur, Brandon would have though she was blushing at this point.

"Back again?" asked Cat as she tugged on her top, making an attempt to straighten out the creases.

"Yeah, it looks like Mr Ruback is going to be spending the night in the cells," replied Judy before gazing towards the human in question "You alright with that?"

"It's not like I have much of a choice." groaned Brandon, any humour in his sentence lost with his tired tone.

"Well then, let's get you set," smiled the panther, leading the trio down the corridor as she casually held a ring of keys with two fingers, glancing back at them every few seconds "You've been all over the news, Mr Ruback; the whole country is watching you."

"Great, just what I need."

"It's not just you though; the whole city's been asking the ZPD for answers we don't have," interjected Nick "Chances are you've got a big media shoot soon."

"Well that's just fantastic," said Brandon, growing agitated with the situation "Is there any good news?"

"You've got about eight hours sleep," finished Cat as she unlocked and opened Brandon's cell "That's something I guess."

"Something's better than nothing, I suppose." muttered Brandon, allowing the Lieutenant to take his handcuffs off. With the restraints removed the boy entered his cell, surveying the room with hands on hips for a few seconds. Why on Earth he was even doing such was beyond him... Maybe just for peace of mind.

"Well, goodnight Brandon," said Judy as she signalled for Cat to close the door "See you tomorrow."

"Goodnight officers," returned Brandon with a sigh "Sweet dreams."

With the deep metallic clunk of the door being closed and locked, Brandon haphazardly removed his jacket; eventually gripping it by the collar and folding it in half to act as a pillow. With the 'pillow' placed at the head of the bed, more accurately a mat, Brandon soon sat down whilst running a hand through his hair.

 _'I need a shower...'_

Any chance to do anything else however was quickly squandered as the cell turned dark, light having been turned off by Brandon could only presume to be the police officers.

 _'Probably Cat.'_

With nothing else to do and tiredness drawing away his consciousness, the human resided to his fate of imprisonment; laying down along the mat, head on jacket, and welcoming the inevitability of sleep. It was not instant however, giving Brandon just enough time to get comfortable, have one last thought of his family and let out a long breath.

' _Tomorrow is another day.'_

Author's Note: I just wanted to say guys and gals, I'm so sorry for the very late update to the story; schoolwork is really draining the time I have to write chapters and as such it's difficult to get into the feel and flow of writing sometimes. Anywho, this story will never be halted/stopped without my say so; no matter how dead I may seem, never give up on this fic! Oh, and just in case (as I've discovered recently) make sure that your e-mails don't class FanFiction updates as spam; that's what I've been experiencing for the past 4 months or so (as would be expected, I was royally peeved when I realised what had happened). Anyways, enough rambling; I hope you guys and gals enjoyed this chapter, and look forward to the next one. Blackfish out!


	6. Preparation is key

Chapter 6: Preparation is key

The morning came too soon for the boy, exhausted by his endeavours the day before; any hopes of being refreshed quickly dashed as the aching in his body beckoned Brandon back to the realm of sleep.

 _'Only a few more hours,'_ he thought, pushing himself to a seated position whilst a dampness became apparent across his body _'God damn it.'_

Throughout the night, despite the tiredness, Brandon had been anything but calm whilst unconscious; his clothing now soaked from a cold sweat some time ago.

 _'Just my luck.'_

Thankfully the room lacked any harsh glare, due to the small blurred window facing South; a small grace in such an impossibly mad scenario. With the room lit with a soft ambience, accompanied by the growing warmth from the early morning, the human soon made his way to the cell's toilet and awkwardly relieving himself in a semi-tired, blurry-eyed state. Having finished with things better left unsaid, the boy proceeded to wash his hands in the sink; this action however was delayed as something caught his eye.

There, by the door, lay a red food tray; plastic and simple in design, the object was a familiar sight. On top of said tray there was an array of foodstuffs, becoming apparent with a turn of the head every few seconds as Brandon washed his hands; a bowl of what appeared to be cornflakes and milk (with the typical plastic spoon), a glass of orange juice, a few slices of buttered bread and funnily enough, a small toothbrush and tube of toothpaste.

 _'Huh, guess they're more similar than I thought.'_

Finished with his hand washing and drying them with a small towel, Brandon soon knelt down and picked up the breakfast tray; a precarious wobble as the boy adjusted to the weight distribution of his food and drink. Without wasting a second, fearing he do something stupid like drop it, Brandon soon sat down on the sleeping-mat and rested the tray next to him; taking the bowl of cereal in his hands and drawing the spoon through the sea of now fragile and milk-soaked cereal.

 _'Probably been there a while...'_

Of course though this didn't discourage the boy, eating spoonful after spoonful of the food as he half-heartedly chewed before swallowing; hunger out-competing food etiquette. Thankfully, no choking occurred as a result of this method, with the worst side effect being the odd drip of milk falling from the spoon down the boy's chin; quickly resolved with a brush of the back of the hand. The buttered slices of bread were similarly demolished, lasting seconds before being devoured in a hunger-induced eating-spree, with the entirety of the breakfast being washed down with a few zesty gulps of the juice.

Satisfied with his small but nevertheless filling breakfast, Brandon casually picked up the tube of toothpaste and looked over the labelling.

'CanineClean; top teeth for the top dog.'

 _'Very punny.'_

Aside from the obvious pun, and typical image of a happy customer with sparkling whites, the toothpaste seemed good enough. Quickly grabbing the toothbrush, the boy strolled over to the sink; with a generous application of paste to the brush, the brushing commenced. Brandon's efforts could most certainly be described as thorough, with the boy brushing his teeth twice for a good couple minutes. Soon enough though he was finished, cleaning the brush and placing it along with the toothpaste next to the sink; force of habit shining through.

With nothing else to do, the now awake human did what he could to relax, sitting on his mat and contemplating his future. Sadly though, such thoughts soon lead to thoughts of home...

The thoughts from yesterday came back anew, signalling an all time low as Brandon's feelings hit rock-bottom. The boy still held out on hopes for returning home, but there was that nagging, innate feeling that whispered otherwise... Despite the outcome, whatever it would be, he had to be strong. Strength would be key, both physical and mental, to survive and succeed in this new world. There was no time for depression, no time for emptiness, no time for weakness; no time for failure.

"You can do this," he shakily nodded to himself "One step at a time."

Ironically though, the boy nearly jumped out of his skin with his heart racing when there was a fast duo of knocks on his cell door. Composing himself with a deep sigh as he recovered from the surprise, the door was unlocked with a hefty clunk, before being smoothly drawn open; revealing none other but Cat herself, looking eager as ever.

"Morning, Mr Ruback," she smiled politely "Did you have a nice sleep?"

"Good morning Cat," Brandon responded politely "It was alright thanks, what about you? Didn't get home early, I presume."

"No, but I got overtime pay so it's okay," Cat shrugged whilst revealing a folded towel and set of clothing "Anyway, you've got a fitting at 10am so you need to have a shower and freshen up."

"A fitting? For what?"

"For a suit, silly," laughed the panther "Now are you going to just sit there or come with me?"

"Yes Ma'am," replied the cell's occupant, giving a mock salute as he stood up "What should I do with the tray and stuff?"

"Leave it to the cleaners, just remember your top," pointed Cat before nodding up the corridor "Follow me."

"Gotcha," finished Brandon, deftly grabbing his top as he hurried out the cell's open door, following the panther "So, why am I getting a fitting?"

"For a suit," grinned the woman, earning a stare from the human "Apparently you've got an interview in a couple days time with the Zootopia News Network; I've been told to get you looking good and ready for the cameras."

"Hmm," hummed Brandon thoughtfully "So, ZPD's pulling out all the stops for me?"

"Near enough, you've been all over the web; people are clawing at the opportunity to find out more about you."

"Not sure whether I should be apprehensive or terrified."

"You'll be alright," comforted Cat as she walked through one of the doors at the end of the cell-block, holding it open for the boy to walk through "Just follow my lead and you'll be fine."

"Affirm'." Brandon nodded, letting the panther lead him right after passing through the doors, traversing the right side of the foyer.

The station had that fresh morning smell; the kind shopping centres had early in the morning. Well, that and the scale of the station were the only things they had in common; shopping centres were rarely filled with police officers. The same stares from yesterday were there, but luckily with less shock and more... Curiosity? Brandon was anything but sure, people being unpredictable (and predictable) as they may be; the boy was surprised animals, _people_ , such as Bogo, Hopps, Wilde and Cat would be so... Acceptive of him. It must have been a culture shock, Christ, an encounter with an extraterrestrial, per-say; the lack of mass-hysteria was commendable and most certainly appreciated by Brandon and most likely the ZPD. From the looks of things, the Department never seemed to have a dull day with officers always going to and fro across the foyer; no thanks to the presence of an alien in their city...

 _'Looks like things are going to get interesting.'_

Thankfully Cat and Brandon were soon out of the foyer, having turned right through another set of double doors. Inside this new room was what appeared to be a sort of break-room; to the right was a kitchen unit coupled with a few tables and chairs, and to the left a collection of couches and a couple televisions. The room, furniture aside, was quite empty, with only a wolf tapping his hand away on his leg whilst awaiting a meal to be cooked in a microwave; the gentle hum of the machine the only audible sound. Unwilling to waste time, Brandon was soon led to a metal-framed door with frosted glass forming the main face of it, 'CHANGING ROOMS' printed across the top in black lettering.

Sure enough, after passing through the door Brandon was hit with a wall of humidity and warmth. Inside lay rows of blue, metal lockers, tiled aisles and numerous wooden benches for changing, neighboured by blocks of shower cubicles further down the back; the lighting in this room softer and warmer.

It wasn't long before Brandon was in a shower cubicle, having been given privacy from the panther as she waited outside; taking a seat and flicking through her phone with the human's clothes at her side. With the outside world out of mind, the boy was able to focus on other matters, namely the removal of dirt and dust from his body. Of course, this process would have been easier if the water from the shower was hot at first, instead of the freezing cold which had the boy yelp and leap out of the steady stream of icy water; nearly throwing himself into the cubicle door. Thankfully though, the water soon warmed to a soothing hot, which Brandon eagerly stood under.

Time was no longer a concern for the alien, arching his head back, feeling the water pass down his head and back, hands carving their way through short brown hair. Near-bliss would be the best way to describe the boy's emotions, the comfort of a shower well-appreciated in such a situation. This situation however wasn't just about enjoyment however, and Brandon after a minute or so of soaking got to work.

Brandon's hands glided across his body; arms, legs, chest, shoulders, everywhere. Once soaked, the boy generously applied shampoo across his body, taking care not to miss a single inch as the refreshing smell filled his nostrils; the enjoyment dimmed slightly with the odd line of soapy water making it into his eyes. Of course though, Brandon would not let mere soap dampen his mood.

Soaping finished, the suds and foam across his body were washed off, the boy actually _feeling_ the dirt lifted and washed from his skin. Abscentmindedly turning the shower off after an extra minute or so of soaking, and quickly drying and wrapping himself with a now-damp blue towel, Brandon stepped back through the cubicle door into the changing rooms; the majority of his lithe, somewhat toned form left exposed.

The first thing that came to mind was the chill of the room causing the boy's hairs across his body to stand on end; producing a shiver that rolled across his body like a wave. In light of the temperature, Brandon brought his arms across his chest, unnecessarily trying to keep himself warm.

"You alright?" enquired a curious Cat "You look a little cold."

"You don't say," breathed Brandon, eyes glancing over to the pile of clothes neatly folded on the bench "Are you sure they'll fit?"

"They should do, Doctor Badger gave me your measurements."

 _'ZPD uniform by the looks of it.'_

With a quick comparison of the underwear and trousers held up to his legs, Brandon guessed they would be a good enough fit; the issue of the hole in the pieces of attire for those with tails had been remedied in the form of stitching and patching of similar material to the insides of the underwear and trousers.

"Is this your handiwork with the stitching?" enquired the human, gesturing the clothing towards Cat.

"Oh, yeah, I figured you don't have a tail, so yes, it is."

"Well, thank you for it."

"Don't mention it."

"Oh and er, would you mind?" asked Brandon as he nodded towards a wall, hands by his towel.

Within a few seconds of Cat looking away, fumbling around with a towel the human quickly donned the underwear and trousers after, taking heed of a synthetic black belt on the pile of clothing which was soon taken and looped through his trousers; making the surprisingly good fit even better.

"Okay, you can turn around now." said Brandon, feeling somewhat awkward about the whole situation and how he was... Talking? Acting? He didn't know. Then again though, he was naked.

"Ha, you look good," smirked Cat whilst Brandon buttoned his shirt before tucking it in "All you need now is a badge."

Before Brandon even had a chance to reply, Cat's hand swiped across his shirt before retreating back to her side whilst the startled human jumped back; upon closer inspection, the Officer had placed a small golden sticker across his left chest pocket, the letters 'ZPD' on a mock-up of a badge in black ink.

"Wow, thanks," muttered Brandon sarcastically as he brought his wristwatch into view "So... It's 09:20 now, so what are we going to do for the next forty minutes?"

"Apparently you want to know more about Zootopia, yes?"

"Yes."

"Well then, we need to find you a computer," nodded the panther, bringing herself to a stand "Follow me."

"One sec, just need to put my boots on." groaned the boy as he sat on a bench.

"Don't worry, you can leave them," assured Cat "We don't wear your 'shoes' here."

"Oh, right, okay," nodded Brandon awkwardly "So, wait a sec, where are my clothes?"

"Oh, I nearly forgot; they've been requested by the Human Research Department for analysis."

"Human Research Department? There is department based on the research of humans?"

"There is now," finished Cat "Now follow me, we can walk and talk."

"Okay," continued Brandon as he caught up with the officer "So how do you know so much then? About all that's going on?"

"I've been assigned by Chief Bogo as your handler," chuckled the Panther whilst leading the human through the changing rooms "The Chief thought you could do with a friendly face to guide you around,"

"Huh, okay cool," thought Brandon aloud "So what's happening with Lieutenant Hopps and Officer Wilde?"

"They've went back to work, the Chief can't have two of the Department's best officers act as handlers when there are major criminals at large."

"Right," concluded the boy "Are you alright with that? Y'know, being my 'handler' and all."

"It's better than sitting behind a desk, kind of surprised I was chosen for the job."

"Why's that?"

"I only graduated the Academy a month ago, and I've only been at this station for the past two weeks."

"Damn."

 _'I knew it; she is new here!'_

"Yeah, so it's kind of a shock when one minute I'm a simple desk-worker, and the next minute I'm the handler of an alien; you are an _alien_ , right?" enquired Cat as the duo passed through the break-room.

"I have no bloody idea," sighed Brandon "You're guess is as good as mine; planets, dimensions, Christ knows."

"Christ?"

"Jesus Christ, son of God in Christianity; it's a religion where I'm from, although I'm not convinced."

"We have Christianity too," said the panther, now dumbstruck "In _our_ world."

"Well that's... Weird." concluded the boy.

"How so?"

"It looks like our worlds are more similar than I first thought."

"Hmph, well, you better remember that thought for your interview," finished Cat as she led the boy across the foyer "The media will eat it up."

"Yeah."

Brandon stayed quiet the remainder of the way. The boy's mind was awash with unanswered questions and many answers for questions to come, all of which came and went as quick as the last and next. This was not the only matter however. Cat seemed upset, even though he doubted she would admit it, he knew that tone; the tone of a woman kept up the night before doing things she had never wanted to do, tasked with duties she would never have asked for.

'I have to make this up to her, hmph, somehow at least.'

By the time he'd come up with an idea of what to say, or at least do, Brandon noticed where he and Cat were; outside the Interrogation Room. The human had suspicions that this was their destination, the stairs and corridor being familiar.

Inside the room lay the familiar plain design and decorations, barring the newly located blue laptop atop the metal table, quietly humming away. That was the only lively thing about the room, to be truthful; everything else seemed too dull or basic.

The human was soon enough chaperoned to the table, seated behind the laptop by Cat whilst she worked her magic; the girl seemed to have an affinity with technology. A few taps and log-ins later and Brandon was facing the desktop.

"Okay, so I guess this is pretty similar to laptops you have back home, yeah? Cool. So this is your explorer app," gestured Cat "This'll let you find all the information you need. If you need help with anything, just give me a yell, okay?"

"Okay, cool," nodded Brandon as he glanced over the screen before turning to his feline escort "And Cat, thank you, for everything."

The woman just stood there silently for a moment before realising what the human meant, a warm smile soon forming across her face.

"Don't mention it."

With Cat away to the side on her mobile phone tapping away furiously, Brandon got to the business of searching the web, deftly finding his way to this world's version of Wikipedia; 'Zoopedia.'

'Right, let's see what we can find about this place.'

" _Originally a mammal watering hole thousands of years prior, Zootopia grew into a city built by animals, for animals... Small and weak animals, especially prey animals like rabbits and sheep (though predators are not excluded from this, as the city's prejudice against foxes is often demonstrated for example) are often underestimated by large herbivores and predators, such as elephants and tigers. The prey animals, especially the small ones, are often seen as weak and find themselves being underestimated and under-appreciated. Predators are often viewed as loud, arrogant and violent by the prey, who make up 90% of the population. In spite of this, the city holds the mantra of "In Zootopia, anyone can be anything", coined by the city's noble head, Mayor Lionheart, who has worked on a project known as the Mammal Inclusion Initiative that, in theory, provides all species of mammals high-ranking opportunities in every part of Zootopian society."_

 _'Hmm, prejudice? Gives a new definition of "small-man syndrome" to say the least. Mammal Inclusion Initiative? Oh Christ, really?'_

" _To accommodate the residents of each district's environmental requirements, Zootopia's districts feature artificial climate zones. For districts with opposing climate zones, there are massive walls separating them designed to ventilate the air temperatures between the two environments, similar to air conditioners. Zootopia also features an extensive train system for all sizes of mammal, including a smaller section for rodents to board safely from larger animals."_

 _'Huh, so that's how they're all so close together; not just a simple zoo. Sahara Square, Tundratown, Little Rodentia, Rainforest District, Downtown... A lot of districts. What about our boys in blue?'_

" _Judy Hopps, first bunny officer... Lifelong dream of policing... Graduated top of her class... Brought an end to the Nighthowler Plot."_

 _'Damn she's been making her mark, looks like Nick played a part in ending this Plot himself... Strange, there's no page for him yet.'_

With the brief parts of information dealt with, Brandon soon found himself on the media sites; his face still plastered all across the web. Words like 'alien' and 'monster' were commonly used throughout the various comment sections, and even early articles; yet one word soon made its prominence. 'Human.' That word, recently released by Doctor Badger, had spread across the media like wildfire, with barrages of hypothetical questions being posed by reporters and analysts alike; with so few able to be answered by the professionals. Without much thought Brandon recognised _he_ would eventually have to answer these questions... What a damn mess he'd got himself into.

 _'Well technically, you didn't deliberately get yourself into this mess. Just an unlucky son of a bitch as usual.'_

The boy let himself chuckle darkly for a moment, relieving some tension to only be replaced with questions and uncertainty; life, as it had become quite apparent, was a bitch.

Brandon's thoughts were soon after shattered with a jolt as the sound from a knock at the door came loud and true; his hairs stood on end. Even though this was only supposed to be a fitting, the growing pit in his stomach and dread was anything but comfortable and regular.

"Ah that must be the tailor, Mr Koslov I think," thought Cat aloud as she pocketed her phone "I'll get the door."

Author's Note

Well guys and gals, it's been a long wait, but here it is; Chapter 6! I hope you all enjoy it, it bloody well took long enough. Anywho, I'm off on holiday for a week from now (now my final exams are over), so I won't be able to begin writing the new chapter as I'll be lacking my laptop (despite the fact I've finally got back into the swing of things), but I will however be able to respond to your comments and messages, and answer your questions. So until the next chapter guys and gals, I hope you all have a good day.

P.S. I didn't manage to proofread as I'm in a rush, but as usual, I'll edit as necessary. See ya! :D


	7. How Fitting

Chapter 7: How fitting

 _'Jesus Christ.'_

Those were the only words that came to mind as the immense figure of a tailor walked in.

A polar bear, nine feet in height, clad in black trousers, a blazer and turtle-neck top; a golden necklace looped twice around his neck with a gem-encrusted pendant on display. The man's figure was imposing to say the least, and his gaze across to the comparatively feeble form of Brandon felt all the heavier. The bear's eyes seemed to widen yet strangely returned to normal, as though he had been preparing for this moment.

Before Cat could string a sentence together, the bear had made his way to just over a meter from Brandon, staring down at the boy with dark-rimmed eyes before offering a large, fur-covered paw.

"Alexander Kozlov," growled the bear with a deep Russian accent "Pleasure to meet you."

"Brandon Ruback," responded the human, voice cracking slightly as he offered his hand "Likewise."

The handshake was awkward to say the least, Brandon feeling as though he were a pale, fleshy rag-doll as his hand was engulfed by the tailor's; a firm yet surprisingly gentle grip felt throughout the exchange.

"You look unsettled, scared perhaps," Kozlov noticed as Cat joined his side "Of me, hm?"

"It's not everyday you meet a walking, talking polar bear that isn't going to try to kill you," confessed Brandon as their hands parted, his returning to his sides "Then again, I've been unsettled ever since I got here."

Something sparked in the eyes of the tailor, something only revealed with the slightest squint of the eyes and look of acknowledgment.

 _'He knows I'm not from here, his world... Crap.'_

"You're Mr Koslov, the tailor, yes?" asked Cat, soon appearing from behind the mountain of white fur and drawing his attention from the human.

"Yes, devochka," nodded the bear "I am the Alexander Koslov, world renowned tailor and owner of Koslov and Co. ... I presume you have not heard of me, no?"

"No," responded the panther as her eyes dropped to the floor for a moment "I haven't."

"No matter, I did not become famous for spreading my name; I became famous for spreading my works, my works of art," Koslov vigorously responded, fist raised to his side as he stared into the distance in a moment of pride "And today I shall spread my works and names further!"

The room however fell silent, Koslov's mood failing to spread to the other occupants; Brandon especially. After such an awkward space of time, Cat decided to speak up once more.

"So, are you er, ready to get to business with the tailoring and all?"

"Indeed, a good tailor always comes prepared," nodded Koslov, plunging a hand into his pocket before withdrawing a seemingly small tape measure whilst gesturing with another "This shouldn't take long, you can wait over there whilst I see to my customer. Mr Ruback, if you'd stand there, we can begin."

"Sure." the panther and human replied, taking their places around the room; Cat at the edge, Brandon in the center.

Turning back from his position to face the tailor, Brandon couldn't help but notice the pair of spectacles Koslov had put on; such fragile, thin-rimmed things, golden in colour, with scarily thinner temples. So thin in fact the human feared they would risk breaking in a strong breeze. In spite of the apparent fragility, the pair of glasses held firm and shone on Koslov's head; in complete contrast the remainder of his attire and fur.

"Arms up please," requested the bear, unraveling the tape-measure with a draw of a paw "Legs shoulder width apart."

Brandon acted without hesitation, uncertain of whether fear or respect was forcing him to pay attention. Either way, the hairs on his nape snapped to attention as the boy silenced a shiver which threatened to traverse his spine. The cause being the ever so slight breaths of the monstrous man before, and behind, him as measurements were taken. Something about the silence, combined with the slightest noise of breathing, shifting of weight and movement of clothing were a trigger for shivers.

"Hmm," hummed the polar bear as he went about his business, standing to Brandon's rear and drawing the tape measure across his client's shoulders "It's strange, but useful, how you share many similarities with us, Mr Ruback; finding you a suit does not seem like it will be difficult."

"Similarities like?"

"Posture, primarily. We both walk on two legs, and have to arms; the only issues I can think of are body proportions, although that won't be a problem for me."

Brandon only nodded slightly in return, drawing the possibility of a tense silence closer; luckily however, Koslov had other ideas.

"So Mr Ruback, you are not of this world, no?"

"Erm, Cat, can I talk about all that?"

"I don't see why not," thought the panther aloud "It'll be out soon enough with your interview, I suppose."

"Right, okay... Well Mr Koslov, no, I'm not. I'm from Earth, just not your Earth, so to speak."

"Uh hum."

"Well, we, humans, are the dominant species; every landmass we've colonized, every sea we've crossed. We are effectively the masters of our world."

"And how is your world with you humans as masters?" asked Koslov as he appeared to write some notes, probably measurements, in a small book nearly engulfed in his hand.

"Overall, we're doing well for ourselves; many nations, I guess to you they'd be independent districts, are prosperous. Others however, they're a mess."

"A mess?"

"War, famine, all kinds of problems... Some nations are much worse than others, let's put it that way."

"And you don't fix this?"

"Nearly everybody has a personal motive, backstabbing and rivalry are common within national governments, let alone on the international scale with entire nations taking sides. Only the strongest nations truly have a say; and they tend not to worry about the weaker ones so long as it doesn't cost them."

"I wouldn't want to be part of that world, to say the least," concluded Koslov as he rolled in his tape-measure "How do you do it?"

"No idea, really; you just get used to it after a while; well, I have anyway." muttered Brandon in a grim reply, staring to the ground as he let out a sigh.

"Well Mr Ruback, I believe we are done with your measurements; a bit thin, but that's no problem. I will have your suit ready for you by the end of tomorrow."

"Is that it? Huh, well thank you, Mr Koslov," concluded the human as he offered a hand "It's been a pleasure."

"I work fast, and please my customers faster; the pleasure is mine," replied the bear with a firm shake "Goodbye Mr Ruback, officer."

Just like that, the fitting was over; no other words were spoken or gestures made as the polar bear passed through and closed the door, an uncomfortable silence descending upon the room.

"Well, guess I'll get back to my research," stated Brandon as he looked about the room awkwardly "You alright?"

"Yep," responded the feline officer as she took a seat "Just thinking over some things you said."

"Like?" asked the human as he retook his own seat, casually dragging a finger back and forth across the laptop's touch-pad, bringing the machine to life.

"Well aside from the fact you sometimes sound like a thesaurus," continued Cat "You mentioned war?"

"Yeah... Humanities always had a thing for fighting itself."

"Well, how long would you say humans have been fighting eachother for?"

Brandon slowly raised a hand to his chin before leaning back in his chair slightly before sitting properly once more, arms crossed across the cool metal table.

"Well, I guess the past 12,000 odd years would be my best bet. I remember at some point cave men starting beating eachother over the head with clubs. Although knowing my luck, it probably started much earlier."

"I guess you've got good at it, hm?"

"I'd say that's an understatement," thought Brandon aloud "Technology's made unprecedented leaps and bounds over the past hundred years. Not just for bad, mind you; a lot of our medical knowledge was gained from treating combat wounds and injuries."

"So you trade a positive for a negative then?" summarized Cat.

"Precisely," nodded the human with the point of a finger "I guess you could say it's a necessary evil."

Cat took a seat opposite Brandon, tapping the fingers of a hand against the metal tabletop; producing a steady, rhythmic beat as cogs seemed to turn in her mind.

"You mentioned cavemen, right?" the panther recalled "We kind of had cavemen of our own; cave-animals, mind you, but still cavemen in a sense."

"Hmm..." muttered the human, loud taps of computer keys revealing his new search of information "They seem pretty similar to my world's cavemen; loincloths, clubs and all."

"Now go further, from then on," urged Cat "See what similarities you can find."

"Right, okay... Let's see."

Sure enough, the similarities continued; Bronze Age, Iron Age, Middle Ages... All the way to the 21st Century. The time periods were practically identical, in theory anyway. No wars with millions of casualties though, but still plenty enough history to find similarities between the human and animal world.

"Our histories are practically the same, the evolution of technology and society, except for religions and wars mind you, but it's all there," gestured Brandon in surprise "Talk about strange."

"What do you mean about 'religions and wars'?"

"Let's just say my world's wars and religions have been, and in many cases still are, on a large scale with large numbers of casualties. It's not pretty."

"Well why don't you just stop?" asked Cat "Stop all these wars and problems?"

"Because as long as people exist, there will be greed and there will be people who want their own way," Brandon sighed "We're not as peaceful as your kind; and for that, I'm most certainly grateful."

"Grateful?"

"If your people were like mine, I doubt I'd be breathing."

A sour quiet descended upon the room, the lack of comfort in both occupants visible to any onlooker; thankfully though, they were alone together, and that was a saving grace.

"Cat, can you promise me something?"

"What is it?" the feline in question replied, drawing her eyes from an interesting spot on the wall next to her.

"Just... Please be careful who you talk about my race with," Brandon painfully responded "I don't want things going South, and if they do, I want them going as slow as possible. Do you understand?"

"Sure," Cat smiled "Don't worry, my lips are sealed."

"Thanks," the human sighed "Just gotta sort out this mess I've got myself into."

And indeed, Brandon sorted through the mess of a situation he was in; although it was far from over by the end of the day, substantial progress had been made. With the raiding of the ZPD resource-stores by one Catherine...

- _'Nip?'_ thought the human in a double-take _'Catherine Nip? Cat Nip? Jesus...'_

… Nip, Brandon had compiled a semi-comprehensive encyclopedia of the world he was in; districts of Zootopia itself, the various animals found within these districts. Heck, he had even gone to the trouble of getting down to the otherwise gritty and complicated details of the city, such as crime rates, public transit, corporations, even Mayoral elections and the last month's newspaper contents; not all of the newspaper contents, thankfully, just the important bits. Journalism seemed as awash with ideals and virtue-signaling in this world as it was in his, authors, reporters and websites alike all trying to claim their position on issues; not as vehemently as Earth's, that was a blessing. In spite of this however, it was a shame to Brandon. The human from time to time would think of his own world's media, how he missed the times where facts overrode feelings. Then again, that was only truly seen in one newspaper most certainly in his past, before it bent to the whims of backers and bastards; nevertheless, it was a nice memory. A memory of clarity and trust, in a spinning world of opinions and emotions.

Brandon had been so caught up in his daydreaming that he awoke from it with a jolt, head jerking to the side for him to see the retreating hand of a somewhat spooked panther.

"Oh, sorry Cat," the boy apologized sincerely "I was day dreaming; I didn't mean to scare you."

"That's fine, just made me jump," the feline smiled, before seeming to tuck herself away as a muffled growl originated from her stomach "I don't know if this needs saying anymore, but it is the afternoon and neither of us have had lunch yet, so..."

"Oh, really?" Brandon questioned, hastily drawing his watch into view "Damn, it is; that went quick."  
"Time tends to go quick when you're having fun, that's what my mother says anyway," Cat smiled "So yeah, the Chief isn't too fond of you doing many things outside of your cell, so we kinda need to get you back there if you want to eat. Sorry about that."  
"No no, it's fine, I understand; just let me get my things together."

Hastily getting various sheets of paper and pens together, Brandon was soon out of the chair and on his feet; a slight dizziness creeping int his mind as the blood-rush from such an abrupt rise had its effects. Within moments, the feeling faded, going just as quickly as it had came. Cat hardly noticed her detainee's issue, busily going about the matter of getting the laptop and various paperwork together in neat piles; by the looks of things, she intended to carry it all at once.

Sure enough, laden with a laptop and a loose stack of paperwork resting upon it, all slung under an arm, the feline made her way out the room; Brandon in toe, though slightly lagging behind. He couldn't help but wonder as to how this whole world had been kept together, all the species of animals, all close together, in contact with one-another, and yet there hadn't been any major problems he could bring to memory; aside from the Nighthowler scenario, however. That case seemed like something from a spy movie. The young man would have originally questioned, hypothesized even, as to how he had got here in the first place, but after all this time he'd had to think on the matter, a conclusion was still out of... Reach? Sight? Thought? Brandon couldn't decide; nevertheless, the lack of an answer to a question any time soon meant that the value of any further thinking was a distraction at best, and moot at worst.

 _'We, no, I... I'll figure this out when I do; just gotta keep going forward.'_

Making his way down the stairwell and across the vast expanse of the Foyer, such thoughts continued to plague the boy's mind. Previous feelings of anxiety when being stared at, and caught out in the open away from cover, were placed to the back of his mind. Some would even call him inattentive, paying little head to his surroundings as Cat led him on through the station to his cell.

Cruelly enough, the cell was about as close to a home as Brandon had at this moment; even though the walls were cold and bed not the most comfortable, it was familiar, and familiarity was what allowed him to relax. Well, he would, if the cold floor of the cell hadn't taken him by surprise. Being barefooted was not the best of situations to be in, but it was hardly the worst.

Luckily enough, it was only a short wait atop his bed before Brandon had Cat return; only carrying one tray of food, however.

 _'She's got to go, hasn't she.'_

"Sorry Brandon, I've been handed an assignment that's needed tomorrow; you can thank Chief Bogo for the wonderful timing," the panther exhaled, tenderly handing the human a lunch tray "I'll be back here in the morning, looks like this is it for today."

"Well, that sucks," muttered Brandon, eyes glancing to the cold floor before focusing back onto hers "Ah well, work sucks. I'll see you tomorrow then; have a nice day, Miss Nip."

"Likewise, Mr Ruback."

With those final words, she was gone; the door firmly shut and locked behind her. Morale within the cell, it would appear, had hit a low. Brandon only felt numb, the sensations of fear, worry and doubt exhausted over the past days, his body and mind tired of such thoughts. So numb in fact that his hands, his whole body, did not seem his own; every movement slow and deliberate, as though his limbs were weighted, made heavy.

The lunch failed to follow any faster, with what passed for pasta and assorted vegetables taking unnecessarily long to eat. Eventually however, the meal was finished with the last few swigs of water washing down the dreadful taste of carrots. The thought of such bland, squishy disgusting morsels made the boy shiver in disgust. In fact, Brandon's stomach did not seem to agree either as loud grumbles echoed around the cell. Thankfully the grumbling stopped when he laid down, head propped against his arm, as a wave of tiredness descended upon him. It's surprising what a meal can do to someone with little time on their hands.

Sleep came faster than the human had time to realize, only aware of his slumber when he awoke to a dimly lit cell; a tray of fish and chips located before the door to his cell, the previous tray obviously taken whilst he was gone from the world around him. Bleary eyed and light headed, a half conscious and hungry Brandon hauled himself off of his bed and stumbled towards the tray, taking extra care so as to not spill its contents; cursing to himself in a hiss as he slightly spilled a cup of juice atop the tray itself, droplets of liquid sliding down the sides and onto a thumb gripping the tray.

Brandon's spirits fared no better once he had sat down and taken the first bite of the fish after cutting it with a flimsy plastic knife; it was cold. The whole meal was cold. Somebody should have woken him up, made him aware of his dinner, ensured he'd eaten it. Instead however, he'd laid undisturbed, and it had cost him his enthusiasm. Nevertheless there was food and he was hungry, and so the man began to eat the meal; shivering ever so slightly upon swallowing each mouthful of food, the damp alien taste and texture of the food leaving an uncomfortable taste in his mouth.

Minute by minute, mouthful by mouthful, the fish and half the chips slowly disappeared; the other half remaining on the tray, a combination of satisfaction and disgust sating the human's hunger. With a few deep gulps the juice also disappeared, the rich apple taste cleansing his palate and mind; quickly replaced by a harsh mint as Brandon drew a toothbrush back and forth across his teeth having placed the tray by the foot of his bed. He never liked having to brush his teeth at the end of the evening, it always felt drawn-out and boring. Then again, that was typically due to his hunger for later nights and longer activities; of course, the activities he got up to whether they be watching videos or playing games were in effect worthless, but nevertheless Brandon felt a small pang of regret as he had always wanted to do so much with so little time.

This time however, sleep was a welcomed visitor. Placing his toothbrush and toothpaste back upon the sink the boy happily trudged back to what passed as a bed, the act of getting comfortable near exhausting. Such feelings however faded, along with his senses, as Brandon entered the realm of sleep once more; happily indulging in his peaceful, unconscious seclusion.

Author's Note

Well everybody, it's been a longer wait than before, but here's the next chapter! Yes, yes, I know many of you probably won't follow along; my update schedule is... Unscheduled. Nevertheless, I am eager to get back into writing again, and am most certainly looking forward to your reviews and writing the next chapter, which will with any luck be out by the end of this month if I can sit down and get typing; which with my work and pastimes now balanced, I most definitely can do.


End file.
